Eimantas Stanionis is still a problem for the welterweight division.
The former WBA champion dominated Jabulani Makhense over 10 rounds to capture a wide unanimous decision win (99-91, 100-80, 99-91) Saturday afternoon at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania.
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Stanionis was fighting for the first time since losing his WBA world title to Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a unification bout this past April. It was also the former champ’s first pro fight in his native Lithuania, and he enjoyed a packed crowd for his homecoming bout.
Stanionis, 31, had fought just once in the three years prior to his loss to Ennis, citing issues with being able to tempt opponents to share the ring with him. He also suffered multiple wasted camps and canceled fight dates in 2023 after Vergil Ortiz Jr. withdrew from their bout twice on fight weeks.
“To everybody all over the world, I’m back,” Stanionis said after beating Makhense. “It was a tough period in my life, but I’m back, so we’ll see what’s next. I’m just thankful for the support. I’m over the moon because I was dreaming all the time [about] walking into this arena from these stairs, so I’m just a little bit lost.”
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Back in April, Stanionis (15-1, 9 KOs) suggested that he’d retire if he lost to Ennis in the days leading up to the bout. “Boots” went on to put on a masterclass in a battle of undefeated world champions, outclassing Stanionis and stopping him in six rounds. But with Ennis officially now at super welterweight, the 147-pound division is once again wide open, and Stanionis made the first step toward putting his name back in the world title mix on Saturday.
Makhense (16-3, 8 KOs) was forced onto the back foot early by the aggressive Stanionis, who managed to close the gap straight off the bat with his accurate jab and focused much of his early work on the South African’s midsection. Stanionis landed the first consequential shot of the fight, a right-hand flush on Makhense’s chin in the final 15 seconds of the opener.
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Makhense did a fine job of responding to Stanionis’ body attacks in the first couple of rounds. Stanionis’ pressure, however, was non-stop, and Makhense consistently found himself on the back foot and on the ring ropes. Stanionis’ punches were compact, making it difficult for Makhense to connect with countering blows, although he enjoyed some success late in Round 2 with an uppercut and a combination, which momentarily forced Stanionis backward.
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Stanionis started to find the openings more in Rounds 3 and 4. The Lithuanian connected with a powerful right hook around the guard early in the third frame and found a home for an uppercut just before the two-minute mark. Stanionis continued to dig downstairs and appeared to have hurt Makhense to the body in the opening minute of the fourth stanza with some heavy left hands. Stanionis knocked his opponent onto the ropes with a left hook and broke the guard with a right hand a few seconds later.
Makhense was beginning to absorb some heavy punishment, and this caused his demeanor to change in the fifth round. The South African’s output lowered, and when he did let his hands go, he threw “stay away from me punches” — pitter-patter shots, which did nothing to keep Stanionis off of him.
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The stoppage was in sight for Stanionis entering Round 6, but it became clear that it’d be difficult to come by as the Gauteng native ate a trio of overhand rights. It was in this round that Stanionis altered his approach from volume to single power shots.
Makhense continued to stumble around the ring as Stanionis landed hurtful blows. It became a beating by this point Round 7, which the pro-Stanionis crowd enjoyed as they chanted, “Eiman!” The former champ rocked Makhense in the final 15 seconds of what was a major seventh frame for him.
Stanionis pummeled Makhense for the remainder of the fight. Makhense’s goal was to survive by any means necessary. He held onto Stanionis and occasionally kept him off him with jabs and flurries. Stanionis began to head-hunt, attempting to force a stoppage. He knocked Makhense’s head back with a left hook in Round 9 and dished out some heavy punishment in the 10th and final frame — much to the applause of the emphatic Kaunas crowd — though Makhense ultimately survived the 30-minute distance.
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Stanionis may have fallen short against Ennis, but with Rolando “Rolly” Romero, Mario Barrios and Lewis Crocker as three of the beltholders in the weight class, it’s fair to say the 147-pound weight class is as weak as it’s been in recent years, and Stanionis is still very much in the top echelon of the division if he can land the opportunities.