‘Josh Kelly-Jaron Ennis is a massive fight; might not be next’

Newly crowned IBF junior middleweight titleholder Josh Kelly has got the world at his feet following his win over Bakhram Murtazaliev.

The 154lbs division is perhaps the hottest weight class in the sport with a host of star-studded names. Kelly has now put his in the mix after claiming Murtazaliev’s IBF strap and will now look to secure his legacy and his family’s future. The two leading stars of the junior middleweight, Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jnr, are actually both without belts, which is an advantageous position for Kelly who has also signed to face Ennis as part of his contract with Matchroom Boxing.

So, what is next for the newly crowned IBF junior middleweight champion?

“There's so many big fights out there, there’s a lot of talk about ‘Boots’ Ennis,” Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith said. “He signed to fight ‘Boots’ as part of his deal. He was open to doing that. ‘Boots’ has obviously got the Ortiz fight that has been going on for a long time. If that doesn't happen, that's a massive fight.

“You've got the Abass Baraou-Xander Zayas fight tonight as well in Puerto Rico [that was won by now WBA/WBO champion Zayas]. That's a big fight that can happen. But he's really in a position now in the top five British names. When you look at it, he's a world champion. He's always had the marketability. He's always had the looks, he can talk, he can do all of it. So, he's in a position where he can really, whatever shot he wants now, he can take. We love stadium shows, and I think with the atmosphere in there tonight, everyone getting behind him, it's definitely possible.”

Smith also stated that the owners of Kelly’s local soccer team Sunderland FC had already been in touch about bringing Kelly’s title defense to the 48,000 capacity Stadium of Light. Kelly would undoubtedly need a big name in the opposing corner to fill those seats. Ennis would certainly fit the bill, but would times align with Ennis looking to get back in the ring sooner rather than later?

“I mean, look, ‘Boots’, the aim was always to fight around March or April time,” Smith said. “You know, after a fight like that tonight, it would have taken a bit out of [Kelly], of course. But this is Josh's night, of course. It's the fact he signed to fight ‘Boots’ was always a piece in the contract that he agreed to, but it was never about that fight being next, necessarily.”

Ennis is currently involved in increasingly difficult negotiations for a bout with Ortiz Jnr. His opponent is now taking legal action with his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy, and it seems as though the bout is far from being completed.

“Look, there was always a deadline in terms of making it happen, and we're getting to that point,” Smith said of the talks. “I'm not going to say there's an exact day because there are things ongoing. There is obviously the situation with Golden Boy and Vergil Ortiz, as everyone knows, is quite public. But we are getting to that point where we need to deliver a fight for ‘Boots’. So within the next week or so – I would think I'm not setting that as a deadline because I'll get myself in trouble – I would think we need to make a decision with what we do.”