Eddie Hearn says Josh Kelly could fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis in November if he successfully defends his IBF junior middleweight title against Caoimhin Agyarko on July 25 in Saudi Arabia.
“When he comes through that fight there’s a very good chance that Josh Kelly will fight Boots in November,” said Hearn to iFL TV. “In America. Not Newcastle.”
Kelly is set to face unbeaten Irish challenger Agyarko on the Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga undercard. A victory would keep him in position for the Ennis fight Hearn outlined, although the matchup would still need to be negotiated.
Kelly won the IBF title in January with a majority decision over Bakhram Murtazaliev in Newcastle. The verdict was controversial, with many observers believing Murtazaliev had done enough to retain his belt. Kelly now has to beat another unbeaten opponent before any Ennis fight can move beyond the discussion stage.
Ennis also has other options.
“There’s also a good chance that Vergil Ortiz will fight Boots,” Hearn said. “But the reality is Boots wants the belts. He wants to win all the belts as soon as possible.”
Ennis has been linked to several major fights at 154, and Hearn made clear that his priority is collecting titles rather than taking a specific opponent. That leaves Kelly needing the Agyarko win first, then the right deal afterward.
“But there could be a huge fight for Josh Kelly at the back end of the year,” Hearn said. “He has to come through July 25.”
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Last Updated on 2026/07/09 at 3:56 PM
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