ATLANTA, Ga. — The road to an undisputed junior middleweight championship is becoming clearer, and Jaron “Boots” Ennis is one victory away from putting himself in position to fight for all four major world titles.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Wednesday. That Ennis will face IBF junior middleweight champion Josh Kelly in a highly anticipated 154-pound title unification showdown on February 27 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs), who holds the WBA and WBO championships. Will put his undefeated record and two world titles on the line against Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs), with the winner leaving Atlanta as a three-belt champion.
The bout will stream internationally on DAZN and air in the United States on TNT and truTV through the networks’ partnership with DAZN. For both fighters, the stakes couldn’t be much higher.
Ennis Looks to Continue His Dominance at 154 Pounds
After establishing himself as one of boxing’s premier welterweights. Ennis has quickly made his presence felt in the junior middleweight division. The 29-year-old Philadelphia native captured the WBA and WBO titles on June 27 with an impressive seventh-round technical knockout victory over previously unbeaten Xander Zayas.
Ennis dropped the Puerto Rican champion three times during the contest. Scoring knockdowns in the first, fifth and seventh rounds before the fight was stopped. The victory demonstrated that Ennis’ punching power and offensive versatility have translated effectively to the 154-pound division.
A former Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight champion, Ennis has continued building his reputation as one of boxing’s most dangerous fighters. He currently holds the No. 1 contender position in The Ring’s junior middleweight rankings and is ranked ninth on the publication’s pound-for-pound list.
With 32 knockouts in 36 professional victories. Ennis brings an impressive combination of speed, power and technical ability into his showdown with Kelly. However, capturing a third championship belt will require overcoming an opponent who has already demonstrated an ability to upset expectations.
Josh Kelly Ready for Another Major Challenge
Kelly, 32, has taken a different route to championship success. The British fighter captured the IBF junior middleweight title on January 31 by defeating previously unbeaten Bakhram Murtazaliev by majority decision.
The victory represented a significant breakthrough for Kelly. Who entered the contest against a dangerous champion with an impressive knockout record. Kelly followed that performance with a successful title defense against Caoimhin Agyarko on July 25.
Despite suffering a severe cut above his right eye. Along with additional cuts across his nose and beneath his left eye, Kelly battled through adversity to earn a unanimous decision victory.
The performance showcased his toughness and ability to remain composed under difficult circumstances. Now, Kelly faces another major test against one of the sport’s most highly regarded undefeated champions.
The England native, ranked sixth among The Ring’s junior middleweight contenders. Will be fighting in the United States for just the third time in his professional career.
He will also enter the contest facing a significant disadvantage in knockout percentage. While Kelly has nine stoppage victories in 19 wins. Ennis has stopped 32 of his 36 opponents. That contrast could play an important role in how both fighters approach the matchup.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
