Josh Kelly’s Dangerous Choice: Accepting Jaron Ennis Webo Eliminator for Zayas’ title
Josh Kelly was offered a fight against #4 Jaron Ennis in the WBO junior middleweight title eliminator and has decided to be the mandatory challenger for the newly crowned 154-pound champion Zander Zaya.
SECONDOUT “Boots” beat news of #3 rank WBO candidate Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KO) who is being offered a fight with Ennis.
Josh Kelly’s Options
It is doubtful whether Kelly, 31, will agree to join a high-risk battle. Because he is already in a good position to be chosen as the world title shot against WBO champion Zayas. An offer from Matchroom Ennis promoter Eddie Hearn must be substantial to endanger his #3 rankings to seduce Kelly. If 2016 Olympic Kelly is offered life-changing money, he will probably take it.
Zayas argued that he wants a unified match against WBC 154 pound champion Sebastian Fandra or IBF champion Bakuram Murtazaliev after winning the vacant WBO title last Saturday night, but he believes he will sit on the belt and squeeze it out by winning to earn money.
Josh Kelly will clearly choose Xander to choose for his first defense. The top-ranked Zayas promoter led him to this point in his six-year professional career by guiding him out of dangerous opposition and matching only with beatable fighters. Now that Xander won the WBO 154-LB title with a 12-round unanimous decision victory last Saturday, it’s hard to imagine them changing the matchmaking formula.
A big money for Kelly
Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) are moving from 147 to 154. He is not in a strong position to acquire a name opponent to make his division debut in October or November. Hearn wants to take him to a position to fight for the world title as soon as possible. To do this, Eddie needs to dig deeper and come up with the money to seduce Kelly. He cannot be firmly burned at his offer.
Some fans believe that’s why the boots got a unified fight with the 147 and couldn’t become an indisputable champion. Hearn seemed like Scrooge at an offer to the other belt holders, and he lifted his nose and ignored him.
Last updated on 07/28/2025