Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Josh Kelly: Three-Belt Unification Fight Could Be Next at 154
Jaron “Boots” Ennis may already have his sights set on his next piece of championship gold.
After establishing himself as one of boxing’s biggest forces at junior middleweight, Ennis currently holds the WBA and WBO titles at 154 pounds. Now, IBF champion Josh Kelly could stand between Boots and possession of three of the division’s four major belts.
The matchup makes sense from both a boxing and business perspective. Ennis and Kelly are both associated with Matchroom Boxing, potentially eliminating many of the promotional obstacles that frequently prevent major unification fights from happening.
Eddie Hearn Has Already Discussed Ennis vs. Kelly
Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn previously indicated that there was a strong possibility of Ennis facing Kelly later in 2026, with the United States discussed as the potential location.
Those comments came before Kelly's July 25 title defense against Caoimhin Agyarko. Kelly went on to successfully defend his IBF championship and immediately made it clear that Ennis was the opponent he wanted next.
That leaves the door open for one of the biggest fights currently available in the junior middleweight division.
Boots Ennis Is Chasing Undisputed Status
For Ennis, fighting Kelly represents much more than another championship defense.
A victory would add the IBF junior middleweight championship to his WBA and WBO belts, leaving Boots just one major title away from becoming the undisputed champion at 154 pounds.
Ennis has quickly become the fighter others in the division are targeting. Following his victory over Xander Zayas in June, Boots emerged with the WBA and WBO championships and considerably strengthened his position at junior middleweight.
The Philadelphia star has also made his intentions clear regarding the other champions in the division. Recent comments have connected him with both Kelly and Sebastian Fundora as Ennis continues pursuing the remaining belts.
Josh Kelly Wants the Boots Ennis Fight
Kelly isn't attempting to avoid the challenge.
Following his latest victory, the British champion publicly called for Ennis, making a potential unification bout one of those rare situations where the fighters and promoter appear to have the same objective.
Kelly would enter the matchup facing arguably the biggest challenge of his career.
Ennis combines hand speed, punching power, combinations and offensive versatility, making him an extremely difficult opponent over 12 rounds. Kelly's movement and technical boxing ability could create interesting moments, but he would likely need an exceptional performance to prevent Boots from imposing his offense as the fight progresses.
Could Boots Ennis vs. Josh Kelly Happen in November?
November has previously been mentioned as a possible timeframe, although an Ennis-Kelly fight has not yet been formally announced. Boxing News 24 reports that Hearn had discussed the possibility of staging the fight in America rather than Kelly's native England.
Kelly is also recovering from cuts sustained in his latest fight, with his camp indicating that his recovery was progressing and that they still wanted Ennis before the end of the year.
If the fight comes together, the stakes would be significant.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Josh Kelly would put the WBA, WBO and IBF junior middleweight championships on the line, with the winner emerging just one belt away from undisputed status.
For Ennis, it could represent another step toward completely taking over the 154-pound division. For Kelly, defeating Boots would instantly become the defining victory of his career.
And with both fighters publicly interested, this is one major boxing matchup that appears to have a realistic path toward becoming reality.
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