The reality is that for fighters like Joe Joyce, they are unlikely to be in a position to earn at their current levels doing anything else and that makes it that much harder to accept when your time is finished in the ring.
Even Frank Warren sounded a little nervous to commit to further fights promoting Joyce after his latest loss, but this is not a decision for Warren, but one that Joe Joyce is going to have to make himself.
He was not completely outclassed by Filip Hrgovic, but the Croatian has not exactly looked like a top level Heavyweight himself in recent outings and so you have to believe the upper echelon of the Division is now beyond the reach of Joe Joyce. Does he really want to become something of a gate-keeper at 39 years old and with the reflexes slowing down all the time? He cannot seriously believe he can become a World Champion now, even if the Titles are eventually fragmented again, and so that conversation about retirement will have to be had by those around him.
Sometimes the fighter does need to be protected from themselves, but news that Josh Warrington is making another return this week just underlines the point about how hard it is to accept limitations.
Speaking about Warrington, it did felt like something was left in the tank even after suffering a third straight loss and he may get one more big run. That seems much more unlikely for Joe Joyce and that is where people do need to have his best interests at heart.
Last weekend was a crossroads fight for Joyce and Hrgovic and the same could be said for Tim Tszyu who secured a big win after consecutive defeats in the United States. He looks in line to face Keith Thurman as he continues his rebuild, while the controversial ending to David Adeleye's win over TKV has already had the British Board request for a rematch.
Richard Torrez Jr continues his move up the Heavyweight World Rankings with a solid win on the board and it was another good week of action for fans of the sport.
We are now just two weeks away from the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn card, but there is a big rematch in British terms next weekend when Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron meet for a second time.
However, the biggest fight left in April should be coming from Atlantic City when the WBA and IBF World Titles in the Welterweight Division are Unified.
Some may feel this is also the bout that should determine the Number 1 in the Division, but Brian Norman Jr can certainly make a challenge to that and is potentially next in line for the winner in yet another Unification.
Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis
With Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford moved on after deciding the best in the 147 pound Division in July 2023, the Welterweights have perhaps lost some of the star appeal that has been associated with those fighting for the World Titles for years.
There had been a lot of hype around Jaron Ennis, but recent performances have raised more questions than answers.
He can make a real statement this weekend if he can Unify two of the four World Titles and the hope is that we will continue to see the Champions fight one another through the remainder of the calendar year.
Winning the Interim IBF World Title in January 2023 should have sparked the Jaron Ennis run, but he has struggled to entice a really big name in the ring with him. Two wins over Karen Chukhadzhian and further victories over Roiman Villa and David Avanesyan are not exactly going to bring Ennis to the forefront and he needs to win this fight and win well.
No one should doubt the ability of the IBF World Champion, even if some believe he has been getting hit more than he should against limited opposition. Some of that may be down to the lacklustre names in front of him, but Jaron Ennis will not have many excuses if he underperforms against an unbeaten WBA World Champion.
Eimantas Stanionis won the Regular WBA World Title in his fourteenth fight and defended it in his fifteenth, but has since been upgraded to full World Champion. The worrying part of that is that those two fights took place in April 2022 and August 2024 and inactivity has been a real issue for the 30 year old.
After the Covid pandemic, Stanionis was out twice in quick succession, but there has to be a big impact in his development that his last seven fights have been since December 2019. There is inactivity and there is inactivity and while some of it has not been the fault of the fighter, you do have to wonder how ready the Lithuanian can be for a challenge like this one.
You may look at the Jaron Ennis resume and become a little underwhelmed, but there is almost nothing on the Eimantas Stanionis resume that would have you sit up and take notice.
He has proven to be tough and Stanionis should help create an interesting fight with his come forward style, but this is likely going to end with Jaron Ennis having a chance to show off why so many believe he is the best in the Division.
We should see all of the Ennis skills as he breaks down an opponent that has not really been prepared for this kind of test, while the IBF World Champion has had two solid fights in 2024 and should be improving with the regular return to the ring.
There will be plenty of eyes on this fight, and it is one where Jaron Ennis may just grow as it develops with the American forcing a Stoppage at some stage in the second half of the contest.
MY PICKS: Jaron Ennis to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Boxing 2025: 15-33, - 10.73 Units (58 Units Staked, - 18.50% Yield)
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