Josh Kelly has agreed to terms to face Jaron Ennis in a 154-pound unification fight, with an early January target as they wait for DAZN to set a date.
The proposed unification would give Ennis a chance to add Kelly’s IBF belt to his WBA and WBO titles at 154 pounds. The venue remains unconfirmed, but a British location could make this a more awkward fight for Ennis than the matchup looks on paper.
“We’ve had our terms agreed for the ‘Boots’ fight for some time,” Booth said to The Ring. “From what I’ve been told, he has agreed to his terms as well. It’s literally waiting for DAZN to give Matchroom a date. It’s frustrating, but that’s the nature of the business.”
Kelly needed minor surgery to fix a broken nose following his July 25 decision victory against Caoimhin Agyarko. Sliding the bout to January offers extra healing time, but holding Ennis at bay presents a massive challenge. His championship victory over Bakhram Murtazaliev failed to convince me he was genuinely superior inside the ring.
Outside of a quick flash knockdown, Kelly rarely launched meaningful attacks during long stretches. He spent large portions of every round circling on the back foot, stealing moments with late bursts right before the bell. When scoring that bout, Murtazaliev clearly landed the more effective blows throughout the contest.
Ennis likely needs a knockout if he travels across the Atlantic to secure a victory. Trailing Kelly across the ring plays into that retreat strategy, inviting judges to score razor-thin rounds for the hometown fighter.
Cutting off escape routes and digging hard hooks downstairs will slow that retreat early. Hunting purely with telegraphed power shots upstairs lets Kelly slip away cleanly. Ennis must remain centered, stringing four-punch combinations together rather than resetting after a missed blow, wearing down that slippery guard until it collapses completely.
Trapping Kelly against the ropes offers Ennis his clearest path to victory. Kelly easily ducks single, isolated punches along the perimeter, but layered combinations splitting head and body take away his room to breathe.
Ennis stopped Xander Zayas in seven rounds back in June. Kelly must limit exchanges to quick flurries before slipping away. Ennis has to plant his feet, trap him along the boundaries, and drag him into heavy inside exchanges.