Matchroom CEO claims title defence is currently being finalised.
It was at the end of this January that Josh Kelly pulled off one of the biggest wins by a British boxer this year when he scored a decision victory over Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Murtazaliev was the IBF super-welterweight champion and widely expected to not just beat Kelly, but demolish him quite thoroughly. However, things didn’t turn out that way for the Russian.
Instead, Sunderland’s “Pretty Boy” shocked countless people by dropping Murtazaliev and getting the better of him over the distance, fulfilling the promise that many thought he had when he first turned professional.
Ever since, the matter of Kelly’s first title defence has been a subject of discussion, with the fight to decide his mandatory having fallen apart last month.
However, rumours regarding his next fight have been circulating, and it is believed that his first challenger is set to be a fighter who was previously scheduled to fight in the eliminator for his title.
This has now gained further traction, as Frank Smith (CEO of Matchroom Boxing) has confirmed that it is in the process of being finalised right now.
In an interview with October Red, when asked if Kelly would be fighting Caoimhin Agyarko next, Smith replied, “That’s what we’re plannin’ on. Just tryin’ to finalise it now.”
Both Kelly and Agyarko are top fighters in the 154-pound scene, each owning official victories over Ishmael Davis.
Agyarko is ranked #4 by the IBF, sandwiched between Murtazaliev and Brandon Adams (who are expected to be fighting each other in an eliminator next).
With the #1 and #2 spots vacant, Agyarko is the highest-ranked contender currently available. It has been stated that the fight will likely be happening in July or August in the North East of England.
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