Hearn revealed the idea is already on the table after discussions with Fundora’s side, who are positioning the fight as part of a bigger push for an undisputed champion at 154 pounds.
“We had very, very early discussions with PBC about it,” Hearn said.
“They are very interested and I said let’s make Josh Kelly against Fundora and then the winner fights against the winner of Boots for the undisputed.”
Kelly is currently set for voluntary defense this summer, but the Fundora option has quickly entered the picture as a more significant move. Hearn framed it as a natural next step rather than a long-term target.
The structure being discussed will create a clear duel route to full unification in the division, linking Fundora–Kelly with the outcome of Jaron Ennis’ continued run at 154.
“I mean it would be a very natural thing to do,” Hearn added.
“Let’s get these fights. Let’s make an undisputed champion. That’s what the game is all about.”
No formal agreement is in place, and talks remain at an early stage, but the willingness on both sides indicates movement toward one of the division’s most direct unification paths.
The “shoeshine” round-stealing flags might have worked last January against a chasing power puncher, Bakhram Murtazaliev, but Fundora is a different animal altogether.
Fundora’s 80-inch reach and 6’6-inch height means Kelly’s “hit and move” strategy requires him to cover a massive distance just to get inside.
Unlike Murtazaliev, who followed Kelly in straight lines, Fundora showed significant improvement in lateral movement. In his March 29 TKO win over Keith Thurman, Fundora used his jab as a physical barrier, systematically breaking down Thurman until the Round 6 stoppage.
If Kelly does come in to throw those light combos, he enters Fundora’s “phone booth,” where the “Towering Inferno” ironically does his best work with short, devastating uppercuts.
By matching Kelly with Fundora, Hearn accomplished a few things: If Kelly lost, Hearn still had a hand in a massive unification event. If Kelly pulls off the upset, he becomes a global superstar headed for an undisputed fight.
Hearn promotes Ennis. By putting Kelly (also a Matchroom fighter) in at Fundora (PBC), he is looking to consolidate the belts within his own stable to ensure the ultimate undisputed fight is an all-Matchroom affair.
