Eimantas Stanionis gets a chance to unify titles and upset the odds this weekend when he faces Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and says he’s comfortable in the underdog role and that won’t prevent him from putting his skill and will on full display. Stanionis says he has no fear entering this fight and fans can expect him to bring the action. Here’s some excerpts of what Stanionis had to say below.
Stanionis on being the underdog against Ennis
“He’s like a big star in the US and for me it’s like I always was an underdog in America. When I was fighting I knew if I lose one fight I’ll pack my bags and go back to my country. So I was always going hard, like giving my all. And that’s the thing, that’s what motivates me, that’s what I want to do. It’s a big task but I’m ready to do this.”
On liking to fight in the pocket
“It’s always how I like to press my opponents, but it depends. I also have my skills, I have big amateur background so I can fight both ways. But I prefer to bang because the fans like to see that, you know. So I like to give the excitement to the fans.”
On Boots taking criticism for his last performance against Karen Chukhadzhian
“It was a good fight. People have like a big expectations from the talks ‘oh, he might fight this and that’ so that’s why I think, you know. It’s always somebody talks when you try to reach something, you know…I don’t take like nothing from one maybe not-so-good performance. It’s nothing, it happens for a fighter. Everybody can wake up and feel bad, it might not [be] your day today.”
On how long a fight against Boots has been on his radar
“Five years because 2020 they offered me to fight him twice. I said yes and that’s it.”
On if he thinks Boots team avoided making the fight until now
“Honestly, I don’t know if they turned down or not turned down, what happened, or my team — like I got different team before, now I have different one so it’s like I don’t know what happened at the moment. I can’t say nothing. I just know I said yes twice and that’s it.”
On whether he plans to get Boots out early or try to take this fight into the later rounds
“Boxing is like very tough sport and you don’t know what’s going on, what can happen. Like I said, it’s very unpredictable sport. So it’s going to be on the night. We’ll see April 12.”
On if he thinks he can stop Boots
“Every fighter I can stop, you know. It works both ways because it’s boxing but I know I can do everything. I’m training hard, I’m focused, I don’t have a fear and I like competition, that’s what drives me. So I want to do what people think is not possible.”
