BoxRec

Dulorme-Stanionis Set For April 10 On Showtime’s Ennis-Lipinets Undercard

Thomas Dulorme had hoped late last year to have his fight with Jaron Ennis rescheduled.

The veteran welterweight instead will appear on Ennis’ undercard April 10. BS.com has learned that Dulorme and undefeated prospect Eimantas Stanionis have agreed to meet in a 12-round WBA welterweight elimination match that’ll be part of the Ennis-Sergey Lipinets undercard six weeks from Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Showtime will televise the 12-round main event between Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs, 1 NC), a highly touted welterweight from Philadelphia, and Kazakhstan’s Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs) and Dulorme-Stanionis as part of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader.

The 31-year-old Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs), a Las Vegas resident raised in Puerto Rico, was supposed to face Ennis on December 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena. South African southpaw Chris van Heerden replaced Dulorme as Ennis’ opponent once Dulorme tested positive for COVID-19 late in November.

The Ennis-van Heerden fight resulted in a no-contest when van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs, 1 NC) suffered a deep, long cut on the right side of his forehead from an accidental head-butt late in the first round of their scheduled 12-round fight for the vacant IBO welterweight title.

Minneapolis’ Jamal James (27-1, 12 KOs) defeated Dulorme in Dulorme’s most recent fight, a 12-rounder for the then-vacant WBA interim welterweight title August 8 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Dulorme’s four defeats have come against James, WBO welterweight champ Terence Crawford, WBA world welterweight champ Yordenis Ugas and Luis Abregu.

In Lithuania’s Stanionis, Dulorme will face a 26-year-old prospect who wants to box better competition. Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, knocked out Colombia’s Janer Gonzalez (19-4-1, 15 KOs) in the ninth round of his most recent fight, December 26 at Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

Lipinets, meanwhile, is considered a step up in competition for Ennis, even though Lipinets fought to a 12-round majority draw with undefeated Canadian contender Custio Clayton (18-0-1, 12 KOs) in his last fight, October 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

A good test for Eimantas.

Press Release | Tripleheader Announced

Rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis faces his most difficult test in pursuit of a world title shot as he headlines his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® against former world champion Sergey Lipinets. These formidable contenders meet in a 12-round, crossroads fight with welterweight world title implications on Saturday, April 10 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, a pair of hard-hitting welterweights square off as Eimantas Stanionis takes another step up in class as he faces former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas defending his title against Jonathan Rodríguez in a 12-round bout.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Ennis vs. Lipinets is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

“Ennis vs. Lipinets is a fantastic fight in the welterweight division that pits an ascending force in Ennis against a former world champion in Lipinets,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “It’s a very competitive fight that presents a fascinating clash of styles and will have big implications on the future of the 147-pound division. Another sensational young welterweight will look for a career best win in the co-feature, as Eimantas Stanionis takes on his toughest test to date in the veteran Thomas Dulorme. Adding in 115-pound champion Jerwin Ancajas seeking an impressive ninth title defense against Mexico’s Jonathan Rodríguez, and all the ingredients are in place for an action-packed night on SHOWTIME April 10.”

Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) is the latest in the pantheon of outstanding Philadelphia fighters, combining sublime boxing skills with natural power in both hands. After numerous appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation, the 23-year-old Ennis has graduated to headlining his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. Heading into his last bout against Chris van Heerden, Ennis was riding a streak of 16 consecutive knockouts. That streak ended when the fight was stopped after the first round due to an accidental clash of heads that opened a severe cut on the forehead of Van Heerden.

“I’m excited to be back April 10,” said Ennis. “This is the type of fight I’ve been waiting for. I can’t wait to perform and put on a beautiful show. Y’all will see something special out of me come fight night. I’m excited to be the main event. It’s time for me to shine!”

The 31-year-old Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs) established himself as a force at 140 pounds when he won the IBF world title with a victory over Akihiro Kondo in 2017. He lost the title to four-division world champion Mikey Garcia in 2018 and then moved up to welterweight in 2019. He served notice that he would be a contender at welterweight when he scored an impressive stoppage victory over two-division champion Lamont Peterson in 2019. Born in Kazakhstan and representing Russia, Lipinets now lives in Woodland Hills, California and is trained by renowned trainer Joe Goossen. Lipinets is coming off a hard-fought majority draw against undefeated Custio Clayton in October 2020.

Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) has put together a string of impressive victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender. He enters the match against Dulorme with four consecutive knockout victories. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid victories in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight has put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.

The 31-year-old Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) has amassed a solid resume at 140 and 147 pounds during his career, climbing into the ring with world champions Yordenis Ugas, Jessie Vargas and Terence Crawford. Born in Marigot, Guadeloupe but fighting out of and representing Carolina, Puerto Rico, Dulorme rebounded from a loss to Crawford for a 140-pound title by scoring back-to-back knockouts, followed by a narrow decision loss to top welterweight Yordenis Ugas. The world title challenger is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jamal James in his last fight in August.

“I’m very excited for this fight on April 10,” said Dulorme. “I came up short in my last fight for the title, but a win against Stanionis will put me right back into the position I want. He’s young and strong, but I have a lot more experience and I will show it in the ring and it will lead me to victory.”

Representing the Philippines, Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) was only 15 years old when he was spotted by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The young fighter blossomed with Pacquiao’s guidance, becoming the first world champion under Pacquiao’s promotional banner when he outpointed McJoe Arroyo for the IBF World Junior Bantamweight title in September 2016. The 29-year-old southpaw hasn’t lost since and will be making the ninth defense of his title when he faces Rodríguez. In his most recent outing in December, Ancajas stopped Miguel Gonzalez in six rounds.

“I am really looking forward to returning to the ring on April 10 for my first fight on SHOWTIME,” said Ancajas. “Everybody knows the great rivalry between the Philippines and Mexico, and I look forward to adding another explosive fight to that history. Fight fans know where all the action fights are right now, and that’s the 115-pound division. I’m thankful for this opportunity and I plan to make the most of it.”

Mexico’s Rodríguez (22-1, 16 KOs) was given the nickname “Titan” because of his prodigious power. Since suffering a disputed split-decision loss to Jose Martin Estrada Garcia in March 2018, the 25-year-old has won six straight, including a first-round knockout victory over Julian Yedras last December. He will be making his U.S. debut against Ancajas.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” said Rodríguez. “When I started boxing, it was my dream to fight for the world title and win it. On April 10, all of my dreams and hard work will come true when I hear ‘and the new IBF champion of the world.’”

Fight week!!

THIS WEEKEND.

The biggest fight of Jaron Ennis’ career is officially on.

Ennis and Sergey Lipinets both made weight Friday morning for their 12-round welterweight fight Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. Philadelphia’s Ennis stepped on the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation’s scale at 146.4 pounds, slightly less than Kazakhstan’s Lipinets, who weighed 146.8 pounds.

The 23-year-old Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs, 1 NC) is listed by most Internet sports books as a 12-1 favorite versus Lipinets the day before their “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event.

The 32-year-old Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs), a former IBF junior welterweight champion, fought to a 12-round majority draw with Canada’s Custio Clayton in his last fight. Clayton (18-0-1, 12 KOs) won that fight for the IBF interim welterweight title on one scorecard, 115-113, but two judges scored it even, 114-114, on October 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Ennis’ most recent appearance abruptly ended before it really began.

South Africa’s Chris van Heerden suffered a deep cut on his forehead that prevented van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs, 1 NC) from continuing in the first round of their 12-rounder December 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena. That bout was consequently ruled a no-contest.

Moments before Ennis and Lipinets took center stage Friday morning, Eimantas Stanionis and Thomas Dulorme met their contractual obligations for another 12-round welterweight fight Saturday night.

Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Lithuania, officially weighed 147 pounds. Puerto Rico’s Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) came in at 146.4 pounds.

Showtime will televise Stanionis-Dulorme, a WBA eliminator, just before Ennis-Lipinets. Stanionis is consistently listed as a 10-1 favorite over Dulorme.

Like Lipinets for Ennis, the 31-year-old Dulorme is considered a significant step up in competition for the 26-year-old Stanionis.

Earlier Friday, Jerwin Ancajas and Jonathan Rodriguez made weight for their 12-round, 115-pound title fight, which will open Showtime’s tripleheader at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The Philippines’ Ancajas came in at 114.8 pounds. Mexico’s Rodriguez officially weighed exactly 115 pounds.

The 25-year-old Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs) is the mandatory challenger for Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight title. They were supposed to fight last April 11 in Las Vegas, but that card was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 29-year-old Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs), who is a 10-1 favorite, will end a 16-month layoff by making his ninth title defense against Rodriguez.

Stanionis: I Have More Confidence After Going Twelve With Dulorme

Mohegan Sun, CT. - A pair of hard-hitting welterweights went toe-to-toe as Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) beat former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) via unanimous decision in a WBA welterweight title eliminator.

This was the most difficult challenge of the rising 26-year-old’s career as Dulorme took him past the ninth round for the first time. The three ringside judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111.

“It’s been a dream since I was a kid watching Showtime to be on this stage,” said Stanionis. “I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I’ve had a long hard journey to get here, but it’s been worth it.”

The two fighters combined for nearly 1,400 punches in their exciting welterweight battle. Stanionis outlanded the 31-year-old Dulorme 232 to 193 and edged his opponent with higher connection percentages across the board. Most notably, Stanionis worked well behind his powerful jab, landing 123 total throughout the 12-round fight.

“Dulorme always threw back at me, even if I hurt him,” stated Stanionis, who is one step closer to becoming Lithuania’s first world champion. “I knew that if I was wild, he could have caught me with a good shot. I have more confidence in myself now because I know I can go 12 rounds with a good fighter. I know how the pressure will hit me now. Anything can happen in this sport, so I made sure I was prepared coming into this fight.”

In the 10th round, a nasty cut opened above the left eye of Dulorme which was ruled by referee Harvey Dock to have resulted from a punch. The fight came to a fantastic finish as the Lithuanian prospect went for the knockout in the 12th round but the veteran Dulorme did not subdue to the pressure.