Chris Oliver landed two winners from two selections last weekend, and our boxing expert now returns for a welterweight cracker in Atlantic City.
Boxing betting tips: Ennis vs Stanionis
1pt Jaron Ennis to win in rounds 7-12 at 4/1 (Sky Bet)
The big-fight spotlight returns to the welterweight division as JARON ENNIS and Eimantas Stanionis clash at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Things have been pretty low key at 147lbs since Terrence Crawford stopped Errol Spence Jr for all the belts in their July 2023 blockbuster, but this weekend's unification bout on DAZN should be a cracker.
Ennis is very much the A-side here, as well as the red-hot favourite at 1/4, with a perfect 33-fight record (29 early) and a style that is great to watch. With power and speed to match his flashy skills, the switch-hitter from Philadelphia has all the tools to be America's next big star. However, he can blow hot and cold, while his leaky defence has become more of a concern in recent outings.
Having waited a long time for his title shot, the 27-year-old has held the IBF belt since being elevated from interim champion in November 2023, and he successfully defended it with an impressive five-round dismantling of David Avanesyan last summer. He widely outpointed Karen Chukhadzhian for the second time when last seen in November but was made to work very hard by the Ukrainian and was caught far too often.
Ennis could still be the star his promotor Eddie Hearn keeps telling us he is going to be, but he is still searching for a breakout victory and Stanionis could provide that platform for him.
A gold medallist at the European Championships as an amateur, the all-action Lithuanian is 15-0 (nine KOs) as a professional and arrives on the back of two hard-fought decision wins over previously unbeaten foes. Firstly, he picked up the WBA strap against Radzhab Butaev, before retaining it against Gabriel Maestre 11 months ago.
A 9/2 chance here, Stanionis only knows one direction and that is forward, but there is more to him than relentless aggression. He is very smart on the inside and utilises good footwork to attack from effective angles, while his good chin and toughness mean it is hard for his opponents to deter his non-stop advances.
These two champions both have offence on their minds and their styles should gel perfectly to provide the kind of entertaining fight the division needs right now, but who will be walking away with the two belts and their unbeaten record intact?
As much as I like Stanionis and his no-nonsense approach, his come-forward style could be perfect for Ennis to look good against.
If Ennis can't make a dent in the underdog, then he could be in trouble down the stretch, but I think the favourite has more than enough pop on his shots to make Stanionis think twice about his advances.
Ennis not only carries power in both hands but also has a varied arsenal, with every shot in the book in his repertoire and his rapid combinations really catch the eye when he lets them go. He also goes to the body very well and that could be key to victory here, as Stanionis takes a shot to the head well, so the way to break him down may be to the torso.
Stanionis is expected to have success of his own, as Ennis hasn't been too hard to find of late, but the American's chin has proven to be very sturdy so far and he has yet to show any signs of being hurt.
Stanionis is no easy night's work for anyone, but he is a little more one-paced than Ennis, whose speed and variety can ensure he registers win number 34 here. It would be no surprise if that is by decision at 6/5, given how durable Stanionis has looked, but the value looks to be for Ennis to get a stoppage after halfway which has been boosted to 4/1 with Sky Bet.
Only Chukhadzhian has gone the full 12 rounds with Ennis and while he has done so on two occasions, he was dropped heavily in round five of their latest contest and I believe Stanionis will have to survive some heavy artillery in order to hear the final bell.
Also, Stanionis has only fought once in the last three years, with his most recent outing last May coming after over two years on the sidelines, and that is not the best preparation for the toughest opponent of his career.
Therefore, I am hopeful the heavy hands of Ennis can deplete the resistance of Stanionis enough for the American to wear his man down in the second half of the fight. If that is the case, then people outside of the hardcore fans may finally begin to sit up and take notice of Ennis.
Posted at 1235 GMT on 11/04/25
Boxing: Related content
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