Ennis Breaks Stanionis Down To Increase Welterweight Supremacy

The Welterweight unification between undefeated world champions Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis was one that represented a step forward for a division still very much in transition. A transition that began with former undisputed champion Terence Crawford choosing to move out of the 147lb. Welterweight division to seek more lucrative opportunities as he is at a stage in his career where after successfully unifying two weight divisions, the Jr. Welterweight division, followed by the Welterweight division in the last several years, where it may be more about what fights will earn him the biggest money possible as well as those mythical “Legacy Defining" bouts, which are always subject to debate, rather than necessarily choosing to stay in one division and trying to dominate against all comers.

While almost all great fighters who establish Hall of Fame resumes as Crawford has eventually reach that point, what can be a challenge that can be an at times unwinnable one at least in the court of public opinion is for the fighters who remain to establish themselves as a division's next central figure without getting the opportunity to face the previous fighter with that distinction either because of that fighter moving out of the division or because of choosing to retire. Both Ennis and Stanionis found themselves in that position.

Despite this and the fact that both fighters are still at a stage in their careers where they are developing and trying to increase their name recognition value, this fight presented something of a rarity in the sport of Boxing that should be seen as refreshing. After all, it is not really common, if nothing else due to the politics that be in the sport to see two unbeaten world champions put not only their records, but also their respective world championships on the line, without the typical grandstanding/posturing that usually occurs, and without sufficient public demand that the fight takes place. Although this fight went against that all too often used formula, the sport will benefit from it as it allowed one of these fighters to take a step forward and in doing so, allowed the Welterweight division a necessary step towards determining it's next central figure.

On April 12th Ennis and Stanionis met at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Ennis, the IBF world champion, Stanionis, the WBA world champion. Only one would take a step forward, while the other would be forced to take a step back.

Ennis would quickly establish that he would be the fighter dictating how the combat would be fought by frequently getting his punches off first, often in combination, and forcing Stanionis to fight from behind a high defensive guard. What this accomplishes for fighters that are able to do this is one, it paints a clear picture as to who is dictating things, but it also significantly limits an opponent's ability to not only get their punches off consistently, but to also find a consistent offensive rhythm. In this case, Ennis was able to largely nullify one of Stanionis’ primary weapons, the jab and was able to control the fight largely by being the more active of the two fighters and keeping Stanionis defending against punches, rather than throwing his own consistently. 

As the fight progressed and Stanionis was able to apply pressure in trying to push Ennis back towards the ropes, the WBA world champion would find periodic success in landing hard hooks to the head of Ennis at points when the IBF world champion would drop his hands at times, which would would allow for an opening for Stanionis to land. 

Unfortunately for Stanionis, however, those moments would be sporadic at best and he was unable to quell Ennis’ offensive rhythm, as he gradually began to suffer the accumulative effects of a beating that Ennis was administering. In round six, a left hook to the body followed by some punches to the head that were partially blocked sent Stanionis down on one knee on the canvas. This was a scenario where even though he had gone down from a combination of blows, it was the hook to the body, which was the culprit in sending him down with a delayed reaction. 

With his nose bloodied and seemingly looking like a fighter who was suffering a beating, but had no answer for how to combat his opponent effectively, Stanionis showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown and finishing the round. Having seen what was occurring and looking out for their fighter’s best interests long-term, Stanionis’ corner stopped the fight at the end of round six making Jaron Ennis the winner and now the unified IBF/WBA World Welterweight champion.

Ultimately, this fight was a step forward for Jaron Ennis, but one that arguably puts him in the position of now being able to dictate terms should either current WBC world champion Mario Barrios, WBO world champion Brian Norman, or IBO world champion Tulani Mbenge want to increase their stake in the World Welterweight championship and thus the Welterweight division as a whole. While certainly no disrespect is intended to any of these three world champions by this observer, because they are in fact world champions and deserve the respect that goes with it, neither of the three are really in a position where they could pass on a potential fight with Ennis based solely on name recognition value. Although all three fighters, Barrios, Norman, and Mbenge are world-class fighters, there still lacks the type of name recognition clout, particularly amongst casual fans that could see potential negotiations stall while the division’s four current world champions continue competing against other opposition in the normally crowded Welterweight ranks.

With the incentive that brought Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis to the table with each looking to increase their hold on the division still very much in the equation, the best both those of us who cover the sport as well as the public can hope for is that the Welterweights are once again on a path towards fully unifying the division and all the current champions should want the same goal to be Undisputed world champion and that will lead to further unification bouts taking place in a more streamlined way than the grandstanding approach, which usually results in fights taking several years to be made. Boxing as a whole will benefit greatly if that is the case. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Ennis Batters Avanesyan Into Submission

The bout between undefeated IBF World Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis and former European Welterweight champion and former world title challenger David Avanesyan was one that, though it came about on short notice, presented an interesting test for the unbeaten world champion. When one also factors into the equation that Ennis, known to his fans simply as “Boots," was beginning a new chapter in his career, now aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and the fact that this fight was in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA, the circumstances were not ideal.

Despite the change in opponent, Ennis met the veteran and durable Avanesyan before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Wells Fargo Center on July 13th. When it comes to fights that are labeled as a “Homecoming" for a fighter touted as one of the rising stars in the sport, or one that is considered a star, the danger is the potential for distractions that could affect the fighter’s focus. In this case, not only was the potential for such a scenario there, but arguably the change in opponent from Cody Crowley to Avanesyan was seen as a step up by some due to Avanesyan’s long standing as a top contender in the Welterweight division, even though the circumstances for him were also not ideal having only four weeks to prepare for the bout.

Although both fighters were put in that position, it did not seem to affect Ennis, who immediately set the tempo of the fight by establishing a stiff jab and landing one that seemed to stun Avanesyan in the opening seconds of the fight. What the champion was also able to establish was a consistent attack to the challenger’s body with both hooks and uppercuts. It was one such uppercut in the first round that hit Avanesyan low and sent him down to the canvas in significant pain.

The foul was unintentional as Avanesyan had his arm around the head of Ennis and appeared to push the champion down into a position where a punch that was aimed for the midsection landed below the belt. It did not, however, deter Ennis from continuing to go to the body and he continued to mix his attack to the body and head of Avanesyan. Although Avanesyan had some success when he attempted to catch the champion in between punches while trying to throw with him, the beating continued and the effects of the punishment began to show on the challenger’s body as well as appearing to show signs of a possible broken jaw.

In round five, Ennis dropped Avanesyan with a perfectly timed counter overhand left that sent the challenger down to the canvas. Avanesyan was able to get up and finish the round, but at the end of the round, his corner stopped the fight. Ennis had successfully made the first defense of his world title and done so by making his opponent submit in his corner. Whether it was Avanesyan or his corner that made the decision, the resignation of a durable longtime contender is something to take notice of.

Perhaps there are some who feel that Avanesyan should have continued. Boxing much like all combat sports has significant dangers that go along with it. In this case, while there was still seven rounds left in the scheduled twelve round world championship bout and in theory, enough time to make an attempt to get into the fight in terms of the scorecards, David Avanesyan was taking significant punishment for five rounds and it should not be dismissed that the effects of that punishment to the body and head likely caused an injury or injuries that led to the decision to retire on his stool. The fan may not understand it and likely wanted to see a knockout in the midst of battle, but one should understand that injuries have to be taken into consideration as well as the potential long-term repercussions not just for the fighter in terms of their career moving forward, but also their life after their career is over. A decision to tend to injuries so one can continue with their career down the line, and/or prevent further injury, though not exciting for a fan watching a fight that was stopped, is often a logical choice.

As for Jaron Ennis, this victory should be seen as a mission accomplished in successfully defending his title. For the moment, he has made a strong case for himself as being the top Welterweight in the world. Whether unification is on his radar or potentially moving up in weight to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division to possibly chase former Undisputed World Welterweight champion Terrence Crawford, who will make his Jr. Middleweight debut in August, remains to be seen. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Spence-Crawford: Boxing's Latest SuperFight For Welterweight Supremacy

Boxing's 147lb. Welterweight division has historically been one of the sport's most glamorous divisions full of historic battles featuring some of its biggest stars. Sometimes the term "SuperFight," which this observer only uses when he feels it is truly warranted and not as a mere term for the sole purpose of hype, not only features the top stars in the sport, but also has the rare distinction of bringing resolution to a division such as determining an undisputed world champion. Such a fight will take place on Saturday, July 29th as the two undefeated world champions of the division Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will finally meet to determine the first Undisputed Welterweight champion of the world since 1985 and the first since the inception of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in 1989. A fight that can be seen on Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States

Quite frankly, one could write a column discussing why it has taken thirty-eight years for the Welterweight division to reach this milestone. For historical reference, in December 1985 Donald Curry scored a brutal second round knockout of Milton McCrory to unify the crowns of the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). While the title remained undisputed for a time, by 1988, the championship was broken up due largely to the politics that be in the sport, but despite numerous unification bouts having taken place over the last thirty-eight years where portions of the World Welterweight championship were at stake, things could not seem to make it to the finish line to determine an undisputed champion.

Although this observer could spend all day and night talking about the ills of the politics that be in the sport that all too often stand in the way of such progress, it is truly a rarity when two undefeated world champions take a gamble like this for all the marbles. Despite the efforts of some to prevent a fight between Spence and Crawford from happening for whatever interests there may have been, this is an even more rare circumstance where the fight was largely made by the fighters themselves rather than gamesmanship between rival promoters and/or TV and digital streaming networks.

In terms of how the fight might shape up once the fighters are in the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, it is truly an interesting fight between two fighters that seem evenly matched. Both can box and both have the capability to end a fight suddenly with punching power should the opportunity arise. What this encounter might come down to may center on the subject of activity.

The activity in terms of recent time in competition between the two fighters. In that aspect, it is Crawford who holds the edge. Despite being the longest reigning world champion in the Welterweight division, Errol Spence has fought only once in the last three years. While this could be attributed to both injuries he suffered in a horrific car accident in 2019 as well as a retina injury, which caused him to pull out of a scheduled title defense against Manny Pacquiao in August 2021, it may also be attributable to the current state of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, which Spence has fought under for the majority of his career, in that many fighters who have fought under the PBC banner have struggled to get fights on a consistent basis.

Whether it is the injuries he suffered, the state of the PBC, or a combination of all three, Spence is at a disadvantage when it comes to activity as Crawford has averaged one fight per year in the last three years. While not a significant difference in activity, it is important to keep in mind that both due to the politics that be in the sport as well as the economics of it that it is not uncommon for world champions and other fighters on the top level of the sport to average between one and two fights per year depending on what the circumstances might be at a given time. 

It would not surprise this observer however, to see Crawford attempt to apply pressure on Spence from the outset. While both fighters have the capability to end a fight quickly should the opportunity arise and as Crawford demonstrated in his last defense of his WBO crown with a one punch knockout of European Welterweight champion David Avanesyan last December, Crawford has also shown the ability to gradually break opponents down with consistent pressure as well as the ability to swarm his opponents with offense. When he has been able to be active on a consistent basis, Errol Spence has many of the same attributes as Crawford, but the element that Spence has not faced both due to his inactivity as well as against his most recent opponents, has been a fighter that is going to apply the type of pressure that Crawford likely will in this fight.

It will therefore be interesting to see how Spence will respond to being in a fight where he might not be able to dictate the ebb and flow of it and will be under circumstances where he will have to adapt for the first time in a significant period of his career. At least on paper, the comparison between the two fighters seems to tip in favor of Crawford going into this fight when the recent histories of the two as well as the element of Spence having not faced a fighter that will implement the type of pressure that Crawford will attempt are factored into the equation.

Nevertheless, when two undefeated world champions enter the ring with an undisputed world championship on the line there is always the element of suspense because even the most knowledgeable fan, or the most respected members of media who cover the sport, like yours truly, are not quite sure what will happen. Boxing history is filled with so many memorable classic encounters not just in regard to the Welterweight division, but in the entire sport that were thought of as fights that elevated Boxing up to a higher level, whether that level be in terms of prestige or one of exposure that opened the sport up to new eyes that have not previously seen the sport before. While it remains to be seen what this fight will do in regard to exposure with yet another expensive pay-per-view price tag of $84.99 attached, one can only hope that at the very least, this fight will be free from any controversy in the ring and free from any headaches for consumers that have been all too often seeking refunds after events like this due to glitches of the pay-per-view broadcast both on traditional pay-TV as well as streaming providers. It is my hope, despite all the ills in the sport including, but not limited to the pay-per-view model, that at least for one evening the sport of Boxing will get a boost from a marquee event that frankly is long overdue.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Spence vs. Crawford takes place on Saturday, July 29th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight and a three fight undercard can be seen here in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT and will be available through the Showtime app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs as well as the PPV.com app and traditional cable/satellite providers for $84.99. To order through Showtime to access the event through the Showtime app please visit: www.Sho.com/PPV. Or visit www.PPV.com or contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. 

(*Card and Start time subject to change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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After Knocking Out Avanesyan, Will Crawford Finally Face Spence In 2023?

The fight between undefeated WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford and European Welterweight champion David Avanesyan, which took place in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, NE on December 10th was one that did not have significant public demand. This was due to the desire of most Boxing fans to see Crawford face undefeated IBF/WBC/WBA world champion Errol Spence in what would be a full unification bout for the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world. As negotiations for that fight between the promotional free agent Crawford and the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, which represents Spence for a potential showdown in 2022 stalled, it created a necessity for the WBO champion to get back in the ring against the next highest available contender or risk the potential for further “Ring Rust” as it had been more than a year since the champion was last in the ring. 

While this observer detailed why that was in previewing this fight, I was nevertheless interested to see how the longtime top contender and current European champion David Avanesyan would fare against one of the best fighters in the world in his first world championship fight. A further piece of intrigue that surrounded this encounter was that it was the first entry into the sport by digital streaming network BLK Prime, who guaranteed Crawford an estimated $10 Million for the bout. Although this was not the fight that the majority of Boxing fans likely wanted to see Crawford in, it was nevertheless interesting from the standpoint of the Welterweight division, traditionally being one of the most talent-deep in the entire sport. As such, any top contender such as Avanesyan or former world champion should be viewed as a serious challenger whenever they are able to get an opportunity to fight for a world title because it is a division where any top contender can take advantage and become a world champion even if there are more lucrative fights that may loom ahead for fighters who hold world titles in the division. Even though the same can be applied to virtually any division in the sport, the Welterweights have a long history of being one of the most competitive in Boxing and it is truly rare to see a world champion dominate the division over several years without at least having a few hard fights along the way, that is if they are able to hold onto their championship for a significant period.

As he has done in three weight classes including the Welterweight division, Terence Crawford has been able to be a dominant fighter and like many below the Heavyweight division, he has moved up in weight in search of both more world titles and of a challenge along the way. One thing that I did touch upon in previewing this bout that was of keen interest at least in my eyes was whether the distractions outside of the ring from a bitter split with his former longtime promoter Bob Arum to the failed negotiations for the showdown with Spence, would divert Crawford’s focus going into what appeared to be a possibly dangerous fight against Avanesyan. This appeared to be valid both because of the issues the champion has been dealing with as well as the fact that this bout would be taking place in his hometown.

With a sellout crowd in attendance at the CHI Health Center, the fight exceeded the expectations that many fans had. This was largely due in my eyes to the way Avanesyan approached Crawford. From the opening bell, the challenger attempted to apply pressure on Crawford and make him uncomfortable. This resulted in the two fighters exchanging offense earlier than expected and less of a feeling out process that is normal to see in the early rounds in many fights. To his credit, despite being off thrown by the champion, Avanesyan was able to hold his own through much of the fight and also managed to catch Crawford with a few flush right hands periodically. While Avanesyan was clearly not interested by the occasion, Crawford showed tremendous calm and did not appear to be irked in any way by being put under pressure from the outset and he also seemed to dictate the combat simply by landing combinations and either tying Avanesyan up on the inside or being able to move subtly in order to avoid getting caught by the challenger on the ropes or trapped in a corner.

What clearly was a competitive fight between two world-class fighters came to a sudden conclusion in round six when the champion connected with a right uppercut followed by a short left hook to the head that sent Avanesyan down on his back, out cold on the canvas. A sudden and brutal end to his latest title defense should be viewed as a statement-making performance by Crawford who has been subjected to criticism by some fans in addition to the recent issues he has combatted in terms of the business of Boxing outside of the ring.

The question coming out of this fight is much the same as it was following the champion’s previous title defense over former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter in October of last year. Will Crawford and Errol Spence meet in the near future to determine an Undisputed World Welterweight champion? This observer sincerely wishes that I could tell the reader that yes, the fight will happen in the near future and also wish I could said if that were the case that it would not come at the expense of Boxing fans being asked to pay an inflated fee to view it. Unfortunately, the truth is, I cannot say neither is the case.

One can hope however, that with promoters that continue to rely on what has increasingly become an outdated model of pay-per-view and have continued to struggle as a result that no matter what their personal interests in a fighter might be, that they collectively realize that it is time for change. Change not just in regard to the antiquated pay-per-view model, which as we now approach 2023 rarely gives the consumer value for the price as compared to subscription-based options that are available on the market, but also change in the realization that fights of significant public interest need to be made in a timely manner not only in the best interest of the fighters, but of the sport. Whether the newest entry into Boxing promotion BLK Prime will adapt accordingly having seen the numerous flaws of going with the outdated status quos that be in Boxing or if they will go with the flow, which will only hinder the sport more remains to be seen. The hold outs that have thus far refused to embrace change and have even gone as far as to try and force those that have entered the sport to go with the status quos may not want to admit it, but things need to change. With Boxing fans continuing to reject an outdated model only with rare exceptions and now yet another highly anticipated fight between two undefeated world champions being delayed solely for business interests rather than what would benefit not only the sport, not only the fans who support it, but also the fighters themselves, I have one question for those hold outs as I often call them. How much evidence do you need in order to see the need to change and adapt accordingly? 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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