Eimantas Stanionis hopes to be a first.
No fighter from Lithuania, Stanionis’ home country, has ever won a major championship in boxing. And the 2016 Olympian from the town of Kaunas is closing in on a chance to capture a belt.
Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) faces 40-year-old Luis Collazo on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis on Fox.
“I just have to win and keep winning,” said Stanionis, who is based in Oxnard, Calif. “I want to get to the world title shot. Lithuania has never had a pro world champion and I want to make history. I have great competition on Saturday, and I want to show that I can compete with any of the top guys.
“I think I deserve the title shot if I win on Saturday. I’m ranked high (No. 1) by the WBA and I’m going to be in position to fight the best sooner rather than later.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJf-sbIbDNo
The 26-year-old is coming off his most significant victory, a wide decision over Thomas Dulorme in April.
Stanionis got off to a slow start against his fit, inspired opponent but he kept the pressure on the Puerto Rican veteran to take control of the title eliminator and win convincingly. Still, he wasn’t satisfied.
He said he’ll be sharper on Saturday night.
“I got confidence from my last fight knowing that I can go 12 hard rounds,” he said. “I got tested in that fight against Thomas Dulorme, but I think it was my worst night. I was not at my best. This time I’m 100 percent prepared and ready to go.”
Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) was at his best more than a decade ago and is coming off a one-sided technical decision loss to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in October 2019, which was the New Yorker’s most recent fight.
However, he had a nice run in his previous three fights, beating Sammy Vasquez, Bryant Perrella and Samuel Vargas over a two-year period.
He isn’t the fighter who gave a prime Ricky Hatton problems in a losing cause in 2006 but he can still fight a little.
“This is going to be my last fight on Saturday night,” Collazo said. “The sport is overwhelming in many ways and sometimes it’s hard to enjoy it. Even saying that, I’m bringing everything I’ve got on Saturday. I’m going to leave my mark once again.
“Right now the only thing he has on me is age. Age doesn’t matter though, when you fight and stay in the gym like I do. That’s what I do for a living. I’ve been consistent and there’s no excuses coming into this fight.”
Stanionis is taking nothing for granted.
“Collazo has faced the top guys and he likes to fight fire with fire like I do,” he said. “I am prepared for an action-packed fight.”
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