Gabriel Maestre Eagerly Awaits Rematch with Eimantas Stanionis in Welterweight Title Bout
In a highly anticipated matchup, Gabriel Maestre is set to face off against Eimantas Stanionis in a welterweight world title fight on the undercard of the Saul Alvarez-Jaime Munguia main event on May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The two fighters have a history, having previously met as amateurs in 2015 in Qatar, with Stanionis emerging victorious. Maestre has been eager to avenge that loss and sees this as the perfect opportunity.
“This is the fight that I’ve wanted for a long time, and now things have come full circle,” Maestre said during a recent virtual press conference. “We had a very tough close fight in the amateurs, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he has now.”
The 37-year-old Venezuelan has had a mixed professional career, with some lackluster performances, including a controversial decision win over Mykal Fox in 2021 and a draw with Taras Shelestyuk in 2022. However, Maestre has since stopped former two-division titleholder Devon Alexander and, most recently, the young prospect Travon Marshall in the second round of their Showtime Championship Boxing bout last August, regaining some momentum.
Despite being significantly older than the 29-year-old Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs), Maestre (6-0-1, 5 KOs) is not worried about the age difference. He has drawn inspiration from his fellow Venezuelan, 40-year-old Ismael Barroso, who recently knocked out Ohara Davies in one round, despite being the betting underdog.
“I’m not worried about the age difference,” Maestre said. “Look what my fellow Venezuelan Ismael Barroso did and what I did in my last fight. We’re going to keep pushing forward.”
The stakes are high for both fighters, as they look to establish their dominance in the welterweight division. Maestre’s desire for revenge and his recent resurgence make this an intriguing matchup, and boxing fans are eagerly anticipating the outcome.
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