WBA regular welterweight titleholder Eimantas Stanionis (pictured) will defend his secondary belt against two-time Olympian Gabriel Maestre on May 4th in Las Vegas as pay-per-view opener prior to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defending his world super middleweight championship against Jaime Munguia.
A come-forward technician, the undefeated Eimantas Stanionis will make the first defense of his WBA Welterweight Title when he takes on fellow unbeaten Gabriel Maestre in a 12-round showdown that opens up the pay-per-view card.
Representing his native Kaunas, Lithuania, Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) has made the most of the promise he showed when turning pro after fighting for his country at the 2016 Olympic games. The 29-year-old captured his interim belt in his most recent outing, defeating the previously unbeaten Radzhab Butaev via a hard-fought decision in April 2022. Stanionis blasted through a slew of veteran welterweights on his way up the ladder, including a knockout of Justin DeLoach and a 12-round unanimous decision over Thomas Dulorme.
“I’m so excited to get back in the ring, I feel like a kid in a candy store who gets to choose any kind of candy he wants,” said Stanionis. “This is especially exciting for me because I am a big fan of Canelo Álvarez. I love watching his fights and as a kid, I dreamed of fighting on Cinco de Mayo in front of all those great Mexican fans. It motivates me even more to give them a great fight. I know that Gabriel Maestre is tough and has power. We fought in the amateurs and I know it’s a great matchup of styles. I’m going to bring the action and so will he. You can definitely expect fireworks on May 4.”
A two-time Olympian for his home country of Venezuela, Maestre (6-0-1, 5 KOs) delivered a dominant display last August as he blasted out the then-unbeaten rising prospect Travon Marshall in round two. His pro career has followed an extensive amateur run that included victories over Brian Castano, Carlos Adames, Alexander Besputin, Oscar Molina and Brian Ceballo. He made his U.S. debut with a controversial decision victory over Mykal Fox in August 2021 before fighting fellow unbeaten Taras Shelestyuk to a draw in March 2022 and defeating former two-division champion Devon Alexander in April 2023.
“I’ve wanted to fight Stanionis for years and get revenge from our amateur match,” said Maestre. “It was a tough close fight and I’m ready to face him again for another war. We are ready for a great fight and to leave the ring with my hand raised. May 4 will be a historic day for me and Venezuela.”
EIMANTAS STANIONIS
“It’s been a long time and I’m very happy to be back in the ring. It’s amazing to fight on this big card on Cinco de Mayo weekend. I can’t really describe how great I feel. I know Maestre well and I know there will be fireworks on May 4.
“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.
“On May 4 I will show that I’m back and put on a great performance like I always do. When you fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend, you have to come with something special.
“I would love a unification fight. It would be great to fight the winner of Barrios vs. Maidana, and then keep collecting belts.
“I train very hard and I’ve never been as hungry to get a win. Every day I get asked when I’m back in the ring, and now I’m ready to have my country behind me. We’re gonna give the fans a great fight.
“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.”
GABRIEL MAESTRE
“It is a privilege to fight against a champion like Stanionis. This is the fight that I’ve wanted for a long time and now things have come full circle. We had a very tough close fight in the amateurs and I’m looking forward to seeing what he has now.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity to fight on this important card. I’m having a tremendous training camp and I can’t wait to get into the ring.
“Unification is the goal. That’s always been my dream. Winning the title and unifying are next on my list and I’m ready to do it against anyone.
“We didn’t get a chance to fight each other at the Rio Olympics, so I’m truly looking forward to the opportunity to fight him in the pros.
“This is going to be a great battle. I’m not worried about the age difference. Look what my fellow Venezuelan Ismael Barroso did and what I did in my last fight. We’re going to keep pushing forward.”
