At this point, it’s almost hard to keep track of Eimantas Stanionis. Through practically no fault of his own, he’s been out of sight and out of mind.

A win over Radzhab Butaev in April of 2022 was his Kodak moment. The two had an all-out war for Butaev’s WBA “Regular” title. It wasn’t easy, but Stanionis would eventually separate himself from his former amateur rival before winning a close but clear split decision.

His title, albeit a secondary one, began catching the attention of his contemporaries. Stanionis never had an issue with that. He welcomed every and anyone who was thrown in his direction with open arms.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. was the first name that was ordered to fight the newly crowned champion. And while he’s always been lauded as a heavy puncher and dangerous fighter, Stanionis simply smiled as he placed his name on the dotted line. Ultimately, however, it was a gigantic mistake.

After countless fall-outs, most of which came on Ortiz’s end, the two never fought in the ring. Effectively, Stanionis is now out of the loop. Still, even with his recent stretch of inactivity, he’s been paying attention to the shifting welterweight pieces. One, in particular, has really caught his attention.

Just a few weeks ago, Mario Barrios proved that he’s more than just a stepping stone. The 28-year-old stood directly in front of Yordenis Ugas and slyly pulled off the victory. In doing so, he also became the WBC interim champion.

Now, Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) becomes a person of interest. Although a ton of names are gunning for him, Stanionis is hoping that he’ll get the call first.

“That’s a good fight,” Stanionis told BoxingScene.com recently. “I would love to fight him.”

Stanionis is in a hirsute and somewhat flummoxing situation. There are no indications that his protracted layoff will be ending anytime soon.

Still, getting ready for his opportunity isn’t sagacious. So instead, Stanionis is remaining in shape just in case he receives the call. Although he’s always been motivated by fighting the best of the best, at this stage, he doesn’t care if he’s fighting Barrios, Terence Crawford, or your local janitor.

“I just need to fight with somebody.”