Jaron Ennis in advanced negotiations with British world champion Josh Kelly as fight details emerge

Jaron Ennis is reportedly deep in talks with Josh Kelly over a three-belt super welterweight unification clash this autumn.

Ennis is riding high after snatching the WBA and WBO 154lbs titles from Xander Zayas in a seven-round thriller at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre in June.

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Kelly, meanwhile, defended his IBF strap against Caoimhin Agyarko in a high-octane encounter on the Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga undercard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in July.

Both men are promoted by Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn, who has been pushing for the fight to take place before the year is out.

According to boxing insider Chris Mannix, discussions are progressing nicely, with the bout being targeted for the East Coast of the United States in either November or December.

It has previously been suggested that the fight will take place in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia.

There had been concerns that the contest may have to be pushed back until 2027 due to the cuts sustained by Kelly during his last outing with Agyarko.

Kelly fought the championship rounds through a crimson mask after suffering lacerations above the right eye and on the bridge of the nose.

The Sunderland boxer subsequently had stitches fitted and underwent minor corrective surgery on his broken nose.

His stitches have since been removed, and he is now on the mend, with his team giving the back end of the year the green light for a return to the ring.

What has Josh Kelly’s team said about the fight?

Speaking to talkSPORT last month about a future fight with Ennis, Kelly’s trainer Adam Booth said: “We agreed to the Boots Ennis fight a year ago, and it didn’t come to fruition.

“Then, Josh took [Bakhram] Murtazaliev, and nobody thought he was going to win it, and then we took the highest-ranked IBF contender, Caoimhin Agyarko.

“Josh wants to unify, whether that is Boots or that is [Sebastian] Fundora (WBC champion).

“I don’t think it will be Fundora this year because I think he is doing his WBC mandatory (Ermal Hadribeaj).

“Boots doesn’t have a fight scheduled; he is with Matchroom.

“He says he wants to fight Josh, and Josh has always got excited about taking the fights that people think are a step too far, and this is no different.

“Wanting this fight goes hand in hand with Josh Kelly’s attitude to his career.

“I absolutely do [want it as well]. I want Josh to have the chance to prove just how good he is, and there is no one in the division better to do that against than Boots Ennis.

“He is the most proven and accomplished champion in the division. Josh doesn’t want easy touches, and I’m not in the sport to work with people that want easy touches.”

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