Stanionis stops Deloach in nine

Rising unbeaten welterweight Eimantas Stanionis (11-0, 8 KOs) delivered a ninth-round TKO victory over Justin DeLoach (19-5, 10 KOs)Wednesday night, the main event of FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

In the early rounds, DeLoach had some success moving around the ring and being the busier fighter against the patient Stanionis. The 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Stanionis continued to push forward and stay in the face of DeLoach, slowly finding a place to land left hooks and numerous body shots.

In round seven, Stanionis broke through with a combination straight right hand followed by a left hook to the head that staggered DeLoach. Stanionis was able to capitalize on the moment and continued to punish DeLoach, who could hold enough to make it through the round.

.@E_Stanionis showed skill, power and precision that ended up being too much for Deloach in his RD9 TKO. #StanionisDeLoach #PBConFS1 pic.twitter.com/Fd9g46xlGx

— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) November 5, 2020

Stanionis finished the fading DeLoach in round nine, hitting him with a left hook to the head and body shot combo that put DeLoach on the canvas midway through the round. After rising from a second knockdown moments later, DeLoach was swarmed by Stanionis until referee Ray Corona stopped the bout 2:53 into the ninth round. Stanionis was the more accurate fighter according to CompuBox, landing 29% to DeLoach’s 20% while besting him in total punches landed with a 124 to 118 mark.

For Stanionis, this was his biggest test to date, and he breezed thru this one pretty handily. It was a matter of when Deloach would eat left to go down instead of if he goes down to those watching the contest last night. We’ll see how that place him in next in a crowded field of welterweights over at PBC, but I like the idea of Abel Ramos that was floated around post-fight last night by former PBC producer Mark Ortega.

Who should Eimantis Stanionis fight next? Would love to see him against a Rashidi Ellis, Abel Ramos, Maurice Hooker-type next.

— Mark Ortega (@MarkEOrtega) November 5, 2020

What also was to add of note was The Spring League caused this fight card to start on Fox Sports 2 for the opening rounds of the opening bout between contender Chordale Booker (16-0, 7 KOs) and Sonny Duversonne (11-2-2, 8 KOs), which Booker won by split decision. Add that to the list of sports that have caused boxing to be overrun and started on other channels.

The other contest that aired was undefeated Kent Cruz (16-0-1, 10 KOs) stopped Mexico’s Erik Castillo (9-3, 3 KOs) after two rounds in a contest that had Castillo come in a weight class heavier than Cruz and when he went for the opening tch gloves in the ring was greeted by two left hooks, the second one clipping him and it was all downhill for him there.