Lithuanian welterweight Eimantas Stanionis (listed as 14-0 with 9 KOs but 18-3 including pro bouts in the World Series of Boxing) will end a 25-month ring absence when he makes the first dense of his WBA regular welterweight title this Saturday against Gabriel Maestre at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas. The WBA super champion at welterweight is presently [true world welterweight champion] Terence Crawford, who captured the title from Errol Spence last July. Crawford, however, plans to challenge for the WBA and WBO interim world titles at junior middleweight in August. Stanionis captured the WBA regular title with a spirited split decision victory against the previously unbeaten Radzhab Butaev in April 2022. He then endured a series of postponements and cancelations when trying to set up a fight against top-rated contender Vergil Ortiz Jr., which resulted in his extended inactivity.
“It’s been a long time and I’m very happy to be back in the ring,” said Stanionis. “It’s amazing to fight on this big card on Cinco de Mayo weekend. I know Maestre well and I know there will be fireworks on May 4th.”
Regarding his long layoff, Stanionis said, “It was very frustrating to deal with fights that fell out. I just wanted to fight. But I stayed disciplined and trained hard the whole time. I just believed that I would get my opportunity eventually. I won’t have ring rust because I live the life of an athlete. I’m a very disciplined fighter and I’m in really good shape. I’ve just been waiting for the call and now here we are.” I would love a unification fight. It would be great to fight the winner of Barrios vs. Maidana, and then keep collecting belts,” he continued. Mario Barrios also fights on Saturday facing Fabian Maidana for the interim WBC welterweight world title.
The 37-year-old Maestre (listed 6-0-1 with 5 KOs but 15-8-1 including pro bouts in the World Series of Boxing), born in Barcelona, Velenzuela, now based out of Barranquilla, Colombia, briefly held the interim WBA welterweight world title following a dubious decision win against Mykal Fox in 2021. He has since earned two victories, with one draw. In his last bout, on August 12, 2023, Maestre stopped previously unbeaten prospect Travon Marshall in the second round. An exceptional amateur and two-time Olympian, Maestre did not turn pro until age 33 in 2019.
Maestre has history with Stanionis, also an Olympian, from their amateur days and now he wants his revenge. “Stanionis and I fought in 2015 in the amateurs and it didn’t go the way I wanted, but now I get a chance to redeem myself,” said a confident Maestre. Stanionis has been inactive and I had two big fights last year where I was able to display my skills and knock out my opponent. I hope it’s an advantage and I hope to show that in the ring on May 4th. You’re going to see the best Gabriel Maestre that you’ve ever seen. I’m going to put on a show and go to war. You don’t want to miss it.”
