Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis reveals why he is not taking Josh Kelly lightly: "I know he’s sharp"

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Josh Kelly launch press conference quotes

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Josh Kelly came face-to-face for the first time today at the launch press conference for their Super-Welterweight unification blockbuster on Saturday February 27 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, the latest headline bout of TNT Sports and DAZN’s “The Fight”, the monthly live boxing series, and will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN and worldwide on DAZN.

Boots and Kelly’s showdown will bring the 154lb division closer to having an undisputed champion, with WBC ruler Sebastian Fundora lying in wait for the winner, and both men are confident that they will emerge victorious in Matchroom’s first event in Atlanta – here’s what the two fighters, their trainers and promoter Eddie Hearn had to say in Los Angeles.

EDDIE HEARN, Matchroom Sport Chairman

What a time to be alive. As you know, DAZN, along with Matchroom Boxing, have been completely taking over the world of boxing – especially in America. And we are coming out red hot in 2027. We are going to absolutely destroy everybody. We want to see more champions. More unifications. More Undisputed clashes. That is the name of the game. The best versus the best. Champions against champions. We are already putting that roster together and putting those calendar fights together to announce to our subscribers and fight fans across America. And we are delighted today to have the first press conference for really what is the first mega fight of 2027. February 27. State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The big three-belt Unification fight between the reigning WBA and WBO World Champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, 36-0, against England’s IBF World Champion Josh ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly.

I have had the pleasure of working with both guys for a long time. Josh Kelly signed with us from his debut after coming out of the Olympics. A phenomenal talent. And last year he took on what many people felt was the impossible, taking on the fight against the then-reigning IBF Champion [Bakhram] Murtazaliev. Everyone thought he was mad. I’ll be honest, me included. He absolutely stood him on his head. For me, the standout performance at 154lbs in 2026.

But this guy [Jaron Ennis] might say otherwise. What he did was light up the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with, what I think, one of the performances of the year as well against Xander Zayas, a great fighter who is now moving up to Middleweight, to become the Unified Champion. Many are talking about ‘Boots’ Ennis as the next pound-for-pound superstar in the sport. Since we signed him, and since they told us he doesn’t sell in Philadelphia, well he racked up 17,000, then he racked up 15,000, then we had a little poodle down to Atlantic City where he broke the record on the Boardwalk Hall with 14,000, before doing 17,000 at the Barclays Center. He said to me for a while, that this tour he’s on at the moment, particularly on the East Coast, that want to go to Atlanta because I feel like it is a great fight city. And it’s been years since there has been a male Unification fight there, I think going as far back to Evander Holyfield for the last time it was fought for in Atlanta. It is a brilliant fight city, and this is a brilliant fight. 

I want to thank DAZN as well. If you understand the commercial aspects of the sport, this relationship we have now with TNT is so important. To make these guys superstars and to be able to grow the sport, and show everyone just how great it is, we need the biggest viewership possible. On February 27, in a fight that would normally be a PPV on DAZN (which is great), but DAZN and TNT had bigger ideas. This fight, on Feb 27, will be live and exclusive on TNT and DAZN, in front of a massive audience in America, for what is a very important fight which we know will lead next to Sebastian Fundora [WBC World Champion] for the Undisputed Championship. 

JARON ‘BOOTS' ENNIS, WBA and WBO World Super Welterweight Champion

Most definitely, I’m excited. I have wanted to fight in Atlanta for a very long time. The time is now. We’re here. It’s time to show out. I want to put on a show and bring ruby [IBF belt] back home. She looks good too. 

For sure, I won’t downplay him or take him lightly. I’ll show on February 27 that it’s going to get nasty. I’m not going to take him lightly. I’m going to show the world why I’m different and take the IBF belt back home with me.

Legacy is everything to me. I want my name to be cemented into the boxing game for good. I want to retire as an undefeated legend and run through every division where I was at, beating the top guys, the most skilled guys and the top superstar guys, and that’s where we’re at right now. Like I said, I’m ready to show the world why I am different and bring that belt back home with another knockout.

[On criticism] I love it. It makes me want to get in the gym, fix all my tools and come back even better. In this fight, I’ll be even better only because I know what he [Josh Kelly] has got and what he brings to the table. I know he’s sharp. But he can’t make any mistakes.

We’ve been back at the drawing board, sharpening up our tools and fixing all the things. Come February 27 we’ll show what i’ve been working on, the different things I’ve been working on, and show another side to me, different tricks, and show why we’re the best. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to stamp it. I will show why I’m here and why I run this division. Can’t nobody mess with me.

JOSH KELLY, IBF World Super Welterweight Champion

I’m in the sport to test myself against the best. I believe that me and Boots share skills that test that level and show why we are the best in the division. There’s no better place than in Atalanta and in the USA to do that. We’ll see who becomes the best on that night and I believe in myself – he’ll wholeheartedly believe in himself. Our evolution has been different but we’re here now and we’re about to find out. 

A lot of the guys I’ve boxed in the past have got the same come forward, hard hitting style. Boots has something different. As well as me, I don't believe that he has fought anyone with my skillset or style – and I don’t believe I have fought anyone with his skillset or style yet. 

It is going to be an interesting night and a violent dance in some sense. But I can't wait. I really can't. 

Pressure always comes from the outside; it's never from within it’s always from the outside. You’ve just got to deal with it in different ways. I’ll be honest, when I’m the underdog I can just go in there and be free. There are no expectations on me, I can just go in there and box, do me, and and be able to enjoy myself. I’ll enjoy the moment and take everything in. I’m being present and I am thankful for God, everyone around us. We’ve got a good team; we’re coming here ready and and we are coming here to do the business.

I stepped up quick and early in my career. In hindsight it could have been a good thing or a bad thing. But the experiences I’ve been through has created who I am now. So, I’m never going to forget that. I’ll never say ‘I should have done this’ or ‘I should have done that’. I am where I am now, I belong here and I’m going to show that.

DEREK ‘BOZY' ENNIS, Trainer and Father of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis

He’s a real good fighter. We've fought him before in a draw with Ray Robinson. I knew he was going to beat that guy [Murtazaliev]; he’s a good boxer. Like I said [to Jaron] the same when it came to Xander [Zayas] if you come there and want to fight, he’ fight you; if you want to box, he’ll box you. He can do everything. And that’s what happened. He’s a good fighter too. All of them to me are good fighters. All we want to do is fight, all that talking and talking smack, we don't do that.

I told you all what was going to happen [against Zayas], that Boots was going to stop him and knock him out. [This fight] It’s going to be a good fight. It all depends on how he comes out, how he’s boxing and moving. It’s going to be a little difficult. It will be tough from the beginning. But later on, down the line it’s going to be the same situation.

ADAM BOOTH, Trainer of Josh Kelly

Absolutely. It is a much more complete challenge. For Murtazaliev, actually to break him down and come up with a game plan was relatively simple. It was mainly about keeping our discipline with a simple game plan. What you have in Boots is a fighter who has a multitude of styles. He is very strong, very accurate, a very high IQ and he has also done it the traditional way. If you look at his early career how he and his Dad stayed away from the big promoters and did it their way because they believed and they backed themselves that once they got there, they will prove their point. Josh Kelly’s journey is completely different. He came out of the Olympics. A phenomenal talent and his route, to this moment in time, is a different one. Every route is different. But once you get to that moment in time and you have that challenge put in front of you, that’s where you get the chance to genuinely, truly prove under the biggest lights and the biggest stress just how good you are. That’s why Josh and I are absolutely delighted, excited and appreciative to be here at this moment in time. It is kind of like a curse as well as a privilege to have a fighter who does raise his levels as the levels raise in front of him. The downside is sometimes he drops his levels when the stimulus isn’t there. That’s why, once again, that I am excited for this challenge – I really am. Josh knows what he can do. I’ve known from day one what he has got. It's just that he has had to evolve as a man and a fighter to get to this moment in time. That is his journey. But make no mistake, I am absolutely convinced that he is ready for this moment.