April 12 might be a life-changing date for Eimantas Stanionis as he prepares to take on the undefeated IBF Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis in a massive title unification bout. The 30-year-old from Lithuania has been a terrifying force in the 147 lbs division. Despite being elevated to the full WBA welterweight champion after Terence Crawford officially stepped down in August last year, Stanionis still remains largely unknown outside of the core boxing audience. No one will even blame you if you don’t realize who he is at first glance and he is eager to change that come the fight night at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

However, Jaron Ennis is a puzzle that no one has solved yet. 32 fighters (he fought Karen Chukhadzhian twice) have tried to trump Boots in the past and have failed miserably. And according to the 27-year-old’s camp, Stanionis is going to be the 33rd.

A bad night for Eimantas Stanionis

As the fight night gets closer, legendary trainer Andre Rozier, who considers Jaron Ennis his ‘nephew’, sat down with YSM Sports Media to talk about the upcoming welterweight unification bout. Without mincing his words, Rozier declared it as a one-sided affair and even expressed concern for the Lithuanian’s well-being. Folding his hands, he offered a prayer, “I’m going to say a prayer for Stanionis: Dear father in heaven. Please bless this young man as he ventures into the ring with my nephew, Jaron Boots Ennis. I pray that he’s not hurt in the bout.”

The legendary trainer knows that Eimantas Stanionis is no pushover. However, he believes that Jaron Ennis is on a mission to prove everyone wrong after the criticism he faced following the Karen Chukhadzhian bout. Rozier called that rematch pointless. “I thought it was totally unnecessary that he should have to once again he rematched a guy he already beat. A guy that was awkward running all over the place. It’s the other thing and then you had to do it again. It just made no sense,” he vented.

However, this time, it is a different story. “Now he has someone who’s a world champion. They’re unifying,” he claimed. The Brooklyn native believes that the WBA champion is a far more credible threat than Chukhadzhian and his “tough and rough” fighting style meshes well with Jaron Ennis, which will encourage Boots to push himself in order to chase glory.

While Rozier respects Stanionis’ grit, he insists the timing couldn’t be worse for the Lithuanian. At this point, Boots is untouchable. “He’s sharp, he articulate, he is moving and controlling the entire ring,” he explained. It is just bad luck for the 30-year-old to come against a motivated Ennis and “it is going to be a bad night for Stanionis,” declared Andre Rozier.

Well, it is not just Andre Rozier who believes that we will see a more deadlier Boots. As the war of words between Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis has reached its peak, both boxers have promised an impressive showdown.

Jaron Ennis eagerly waiting for fight night

Few boxers have weathered the kind of criticism Jaron Ennis endured last year after ascending to world champion status. Reason? He never officially fought for the title and was elevated to full champion when Terence Crawford left the division, just like Stanionis. However, the Lithuanian never received the same amount of criticism.

However, he was always meant to be a champion, and no one can deny that. Furthermore, he now has the opportunity to silence the doubters and take his place at the top rightfully, an opportunity he is not taking lightly. In an interview with YSM Sports Media, Boots promised a performance of a lifetime. Beaming with confidence, he declared, “You’re gonna see a magnificent performance by me. A flawless performance. Just tune in,” reeling everyone to watch him silence his doubters.

Eimantas Stanionis, meanwhile, views this clash as his ticket to stardom.“When I win, I will be a superstar in the United States,” the 30-year-old told Round Eight Boxing recently. Without downplaying the threat of Jaron Ennis, he stated, “You can expect fireworks,” promising a night worth remembering for every fan.

Who is your pick for the new unified welterweight champion among the two? Share your predictions below.