Jaron Ennis is eager to cement himself as the top dog at 154lbs, targeting a fellow world champion who he believes would complement his skillset.

The 29-year-old became a two-division unified champion last month, with a sixth-round stoppage over Xander Zayas earning him the WBO and WBA super-welterweight titles.

Prior to that, ‘Boots’ had been in talks for a clash with Vergil Ortiz Jr, who many believe would pose a significant threat if they ever lock horns.

Due to a promotional dispute with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy, though, Ortiz has remained out of the ring since his second-round finish over Erickson Lubin in November.

The 28-year-old is now seemingly eyeing a return later this year while Ennis, it seems, is hoping to secure a three-belt unification match with either Sebastian Fundora or Josh Kelly.

Fundora, in particular, represents an intriguing and high-profile opponent for ‘Boots’, who has told The Pivot Podcast that, even while contending with an 8in height disadvantage, he would ultimately prove a level above the WBC champion.

“I want him [Fundora]. I want him. I don’t care [that he’s 6ft 6in]. Bring him on, you’re going to see I’m really different. These guys don’t do what I do. Y’all [will] see as I keep going up and keep fighting these different guys, I’m going to keep getting better and better.”

Fundora, who comes off a sixth-round finish over Keith Thurmanis set to defend his world title against mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj later this year.

More likely for Ennis, then, is a unification match with IBF champion Kelly, who must first retain his title against unbeaten contender Caoimhin Agyarko on July 25.

Anthony Joshua has more riding on his comeback than simply beating Kristian Prenga, according to Gareth A. Davies, who believes the former two-time heavyweight champion needs to deliver a dominant performance to build momentum toward a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury.

Joshua faces Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah in his first fight since recovering from the serious road traffic accident that sidelined him for much of the year. While the outcome is widely expected to favor Joshua, Davies argued the manner of victory matters.

“I think if he gets knocked down or he looks too stiff or he doesn’t look fluid enough or he doesn’t look like the destroyer he is, I think he’s got a massive opportunity to project himself towards the Fury fight in my view here against an opponent who there’s no one really on the record who is anywhere near the level that AJ has fought,” said Gareth to talkSPORT Boxing.

Davies sees Prenga as an opponent Joshua should overwhelm. A convincing stoppage would reinforce his standing before negotiations for a Fury fight, while an uninspiring showing could raise fresh questions about where he is in his career after months away from the ring.

Tom Gray, however, wasn’t convinced the performance would change anything. He argued the matchup is too one-sided to draw meaningful conclusions, saying even if Joshua were knocked down and struggled to a decision, the commercial appeal of a Fury fight would remain intact as long as he won.

The differing opinions reflect two ways of viewing Joshua’s return. Davies believes perception matters and that Joshua has a chance to remind fans why he’s still one of boxing’s biggest attractions. Gray sees the Fury fight as so lucrative that the performance itself is almost irrelevant unless Joshua suffers the unthinkable and loses.

Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter

Latest Boxing News:

Last Updated on 2026/07/17 at 3:00 AM

Errol Spence Jr returns to the ring for the first time in three years this month, facing Tim Tszyu in Sydney, Australia.

The former unified welterweight world champion has been inactive since his defeat to Terence Crawford in 2023, leading many to think that retirement was on the cards, particularly when a reported fight with Sebastian Fundora came to nothing.

Tszyu, meanwhile, comes into the contest with some momentum on his side after rebuilding from successive defeats to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev. The Australian has since outpointed Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja, and now has the opportunity to claim the biggest win of his career on home soil.

When the bout was agreed in May, it was announced with a 158lb catchweight.

Ahead of landing in Australia, Spence requested to bump the weight up to the middleweight limit of 160lbs, and Tszyu’s team accommodated it. The last-minute nature of the change led to speculation that Spence has struggled to cut weight. Asked by Fight Hub TV for the reason behind his request, however, and he played it down.

“It wasn’t no reason, I was like ‘why fight at 158 when we might as well fight at the weight limit, 160?’ Why not?”

It will be the highest weight of both men’s professional careers, with Tszyu previously holding the WBO belt at super-welterweight. Should Spence emerge victorious, a drop down to 154lbs could still be on the cards, as major fights against the likes of Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron Ennis remain available.

First, however, he must come through what is one of the tougher comeback assignments against an aggressive operator like Tszyu.