Josh Kelly Retains IBF Title, Raises Fresh Jaron Ennis Doubts

A unanimous decision over Caoimhin Agyarko kept Kelly on top, but prolonged clinches, rough exchanges and a difficult night shifted attention away from the belt.

Josh Kelly retained his IBF junior middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Caoimhin Agyarko in Jeddah. The victory preserved his championship, but the tactics he used and the punishment he absorbed intensified doubts about a future fight with unified champion Jaron Ennis.

The judges scored the bout 115-112, 115-112, and 114-113 after 12 rounds at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. Kelly started well, using his speed to pile up points before Agyarko found success with heavier punches as the fight wore on.

Kelly repeatedly tied Agyarko up once the challenger closed the distance, turning many exchanges into wrestling matches instead of clean boxing. There were also several punches that landed behind the head during clinches, leaving Agyarko visibly frustrated while the referee allowed much of the rough work to continue.

Offensively, Kelly relied on rapid-fire flurries that looked impressive in real time but often lacked the force of Agyarko’s shots. That created difficult rounds to score. Kelly frequently threw first and threw more, while Agyarko landed the punches that appeared to have the greater effect whenever he managed to work inside.

The physical nature of the contest also left Kelly paying a price. Repeated head clashes opened cuts, and by the end of the fight his face showed the damage from 12 demanding rounds, despite retaining his title.

The performance did little to quiet questions about how he would fare against unified WBA and WBO champion Jaron Ennis, whose combination of size, punching power, and ability to fight inside presents a much greater challenge than the one Kelly overcame in Jeddah.

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