Eimantas Stanionis looks impressive in unsatisfactory conclusion with Luis Collazo
In his latest in-ring adventure, welterweight contender Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KO’s) remained undefeated. Unfortunately, that was because the bout with veteran fighter Luis Collazo (39-8, 20 KO’s) ended in a no decision. The fight was his second outing this year. On April 10, the skillful Lithuanian snagged a unanimous decision win over Thomas Dulorme. Prior to the prizefight, Stanionis was ranked #1 (WBA), so he is in a prime position to challenge for a WBA title in the very near future.
On the flip-side, this is a rather calamitous outing for Collazo. While the Brooklyn southpaw has never been one to shy away from a fight, his best days are far behind him. In fact, this is now Collazo’s second consecutive setback due to a headbutt. Well back on October 18, 2019, Collazo lost a technical decision to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov after being unable to continue following a collision of heads. At the moment, it is not clear if he will retire or continue to look for stay-busy fights in the industry.
SOGGY FINALE
Right from the clang of the opening bell, Stanionis took the fight to Collazo and preferred to fight in close. Not one to run from a scrap, the veteran was happy to oblige. As a result, the Lithuanian sank a tremendous amount of left hooks into Collazo soft looking body. In the second round, Stanionis added a crispy right hook to the head to his arsenal. The shot immediately paid dividends as Collazo’s left eye was beginning to swell at the end of the period.
In the third round, Stanionis really began landing nasty shots to the head and body almost at will. In this instance, Collazo’s haste to return fire was working against him in a major way. His hands were slower by far, which left him eating a lot more leather than his foe. In the fourth round, Collazo suffered an accidental headbutt then went to the ground.
From the outside looking in, it appeared that the Brooklyn fighter then gave in to theatrics with the extent of his grimacing and swaying around on the ground. Instead of the fight being stopped however, referee Charlie Finch gave Collazo five minutes to recover. Rather than returning to action, Collazo essentially quit in the corner. The anticlimactic finish was not satisfying to Stanionis or the fans. After this performance, it would probably be the wisest for Collazo to retire. It will be interesting to see who Stanionis takes on next.
By: Bakari Simpson
