Jaron Ennis has re-signed with Matchroom Boxing on a seven-fight extension, the promotion announced Tuesday, and his next fight is set to be a title unification with IBF champion Josh Kelly.
Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC) holds the WBA and WBO super welterweight titles after stopping Xander Zayas in the seventh round on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs) also agreed a new Matchroom deal Tuesday, and The Ring reports the two have agreed to meet next. No date or venue has been set. Matchroom is targeting early 2027, with Eddie Hearn reportedly preferring late January.
Ennis framed the deal around one goal in a statement released by Matchroom: “to get what I want, and that’s undisputed.” Hearn said the team intends to repay Ennis’ trust by delivering unification and undisputed fights. Matchroom’s exclusive content deal with DAZN means Ennis’ fights keep streaming on the platform.
Fundora waits at the end of the road
The Ennis-Kelly winner is expected to face WBC champion Sebastian Fundora in his following fight. Fundora stopped mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj with one second left in the 12th round Saturday in Las Vegas, and said afterward: “We’ll break either Jaron Ennis or Josh Kelly down.”
The signing also lands in a crowded promoter market. The Ring noted Matchroom faces more deep-pocketed competition than ever, and Hearn mocked Zuffa Boxing after Shakur Stevenson left the promotion without a fight. Hearn has said he wants Ennis to meet Terence Crawford and has tied that fight to Ennis getting past Kelly and Fundora first. Crawford has shown no interest in coming back.