Trainer’s Dilemma in Ennis vs Stanionis: Somodio Puts Health Over Victory

Trainer’s Dilemma in Ennis vs Stanionis: Somodio Puts Health Over Victory

The bright lights. The roaring crowd. The pounding rhythm of a championship fight playing out center ring. And somewhere in the chaos of Ennis vs Stanionis, there stood a man quietly making the hardest decision of his career.

Marvin Somodio didn’t plan to stop the fight that night in Philadelphia.

But by the end of the sixth round, he knew he had to.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis had started to find another gear. Eimantas Stanionis, bloodied but unbroken, had just survived a brutal round that ended with him on the canvas. He got up. He nodded. He wanted to go on.

But his trainer didn’t let him.

“Right there, I knew,” Somodio says now. “He wasn’t done in the heart. He was done in the body.”

A Fight That Started Even

For the first three rounds of their April 12 welterweight unification bout, Ennis and Stanionis went toe-to-toe. Stanionis held his own—landing hard jabs, keeping the range tight, and catching Ennis with a few stiff counters. On the stats sheet, it was almost even. Ennis had only landed four more punches than Stanionis by the end of the third.

“He was right there with him,” Somodio said. “We had a game plan and we were sticking to it.”

But in boxing, things can shift in a heartbeat.

By round four, Somodio started noticing the difference—not just in the punches thrown, but in the way Stanionis was reacting. The snap was fading. His balance was off. The subtle signs were flashing for a coach who knew his fighter like a brother.

“He was off. I don’t think most people could tell. But I could,” Somodio said. “I’ve seen him in the gym, I’ve seen him tired, I’ve seen him hurt. This was different.”

The Breaking Point: Round 6

Round five got worse. Stanionis was taking body shots that echoed through the arena. Uppercuts were sneaking through his guard. Still, he fought on.

Then came round six.

Ennis poured it on. A series of clean, vicious shots—especially to the body—wore Stanionis down. Then came the left uppercuts. One after another, until finally Stanionis went down. He beat the count, finished the round. But the damage was written all over his face.

“People saw him get up. They saw him survive,” Somodio said. “But I saw everything they didn’t. I saw his spirit trying to fight while his body was saying ‘enough.’”

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When the bell rang, Somodio didn’t ask. He didn’t hesitate. He signaled to the ref and waved it off.

“It was time.”

Critics Were Loud, But Somodio Was Louder in His Own Head

To fans watching at home, and some in the arena, the ending felt abrupt. Stanionis was still on his feet. He wasn’t knocked out. Why stop it?

“I understand people being upset,” Somodio said. “They care. They love the fighter. They want to believe in miracles.”

But Marvin Somodio doesn’t believe in gambling with his fighter’s life for one moment of glory.

“I told myself, we only win now with a miracle knockout. Maybe 10 percent chance. But there’s a 90 percent chance he gets seriously hurt. That’s not a risk I can take.”

Somodio didn’t care what the crowd thought. He didn’t care what the commentators said. He wasn’t worried about headlines.

He was worried about Eimantas.

Do or Die: The Fighter Who Would Never Quit

Stanionis is a warrior. Always has been. In the gym, in the ring, in life.

He has a mantra: “Do or die.”

“He always tells me that,” Somodio says with a tired smile. “And I love him for it. But that’s why I knew I had to be the one to say stop.”

Stanionis didn’t argue. After the fight, he thanked his coach.

“I know you, Marvin,” he said. “You know me. I trust you.”

Somodio broke it down for him, not as a coach—but like a big brother might.

“I told him, ‘Your mind was still in the fight. But your body wasn’t. You’ve got a baby on the way. A life outside boxing. I had to pull you.’”

And that baby? She waited.

The Baby That Waited

Eimantas’ wife, Emily, was due to give birth before the fight. But the baby waited.

“The night after the fight, he called me. He said she started having contractions. The baby’s coming,” Somodio said, a smile tugging at his voice.

The timing wasn’t lost on anyone.

“Maybe it was fate. Maybe the baby knew her dad had to make it home safe first.”

Why Somodio Refuses to Let Glory Cost a Life

Marvin Somodio’s story isn’t unique in boxing, but his mindset is. A former fighter himself, he was mentored by Freddie Roach—another trainer who knows the price fighters pay with their health.

“I’ve seen it,” Somodio says. “Guys who gave fans everything. And now they can’t walk right. Can’t think right. Can’t live normal lives.”

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He paused.

“I’ve seen fighters die in that ring. Or suffer long after. Boxing is beautiful, but it’s brutal. And I refuse to let pride or pressure send someone to that place.”

He wants his fighters to walk away with something much more valuable than a belt: a future.

“I want them to raise kids. Run businesses. Laugh with their wives. That’s worth more than a win.”

Source: Marvin Somodio on why he stopped Jaron Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis

A Relationship Bigger Than Boxing

Stanionis left Marvin briefly to train in Houston under Ronnie Shields. But he came back.

“When he returned, I told him, ‘Once you win the belt, you’ll have options. You can go wherever you want.’ He looked at me and said, ‘No. I’ll retire with you.’”

That bond is rare. And Somodio doesn’t take it lightly.

“I give everything to my fighters. That’s why I can’t take on too many at once. I’m all in.”

And even if one day Stanionis chooses a different path?

“I’ll still be his fan. I’ll still be in his corner, even if I’m not in his corner.”

Trainer’s Dilemma in Ennis vs Stanionis: Somodio Puts Health Over Victory

The Critics Will Talk—But So Will Time

In boxing, trainers get blamed. Ask Mark Breland. Ask anyone who’s thrown in a towel.

But Somodio doesn’t lose sleep over that.

“If people criticize, it means they care. It means they were watching. That’s fine. But I sleep well knowing my fighter walked away safe. That’s all that matters to me.”

He knows that years from now, when Stanionis is chasing his kid around the living room, he’ll know he did the right thing.

“I’d rather be wrong in the moment than regret it forever.”

Not the End, Just a New Chapter

Stanionis is only 30. Just 16 pro fights. His chin is still strong, his drive still there.

“He’ll be back,” Somodio said. “Boots is something special. No shame in losing to him. But this isn’t the end. Just a pause.”

The world titles will be there. So will the fans. So will the spotlight.

But now? Stanionis has a bigger victory to celebrate—his baby girl, healthy and on the way.

And thanks to a trainer who knew when to stop the fight… he’ll be there for all of it.

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