28-year-old E. Stanionis was scheduled to fight an opponent four years younger on March 18 in Texas, USA. The Lithuanian, who won the WBA regular world champion belt last April, would have received as much as 75 percent of the amount, or 2.3 million. US dollars (2.2 million euros) received at auction for the rights to organize this fight.
Unfortunately, on Saturday E. Stanionis announced on social media that due to health problems he will not be able to enter the ring at the agreed time. “Very rarely do I have to complain of pain, but yesterday I felt an extremely painful swelling in the right side, after an urgent blood test and ultrasound examination, it became clear that an appendicitis operation was needed, which was performed late in the evening of yesterday in Kaunas clinics. Today I’m already at home and my manager immediately requested to postpone the match, the date of the match will be communicated in a few days, probably it will be in April. I need to rest my body for 2-3 weeks without sports, when the doctors give permission to exercise at full capacity, I will immediately leave for the United States and begin preparing for combat,” wrote E. Stanionis on his Facebook account on Saturday evening.
During his career in the professional ring, E. Stanionis won all 14 fights, 9 of them by knockout. After the previous victory over the Russian Rajab Butaev, the 174 cm tall Lithuanian was supposed to meet with the owner of the WBA super champion Errol Spence to combine the two belts. However, the American did not want this, looking for more profitable alternatives.
For his part, Ortiz Jr., who is 4 inches taller, won all 19 of his fights, all by knockout. Last year, the American knocked out Egidijus Kavaliauskas five times, until the fight was finally stopped in the eighth round.
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