Josh Kelly looks set to return to the ring on June 17. Zhuljo Vrenozi, his last scheduled opponent, pulled out of their bout on the night of the fight.
The pair were expected to face off on May 13. However, after the Brit came in at 1.2kg (2.6lbs) over the weight limit during the weigh-in, the Italian decided to cancel their encounter. The Vrenozi team felt that their man would be at a disadvantage on the night of the fight.
The Englishman's promoters, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland, tried to encourage the opposition team to still fight, but nothing was going to change their minds.
Josh Kelly is eager to put his profile back amongst the best as he will finally return to the ring for the first time since his first career loss in 2021. The fight will take place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and will be free to watch live on Channel 5 in the UK.
The Brit suffered his first defeat last year to former WBA World Champion and current European Welterweight Champion David Avanesyan. Kelly will return to the ring as a light middleweight after struggling to make weight as a welterweight in his earlier career.
Josh Kelly's opponent is yet to be confirmed. However, he will look to shake off his ring rust and get himself back into a position to move forward with his career again.
If Josh Kelly wins on June 17, who will be next?
Although the Brit lost his most recent outing, he is still a popular name amongst British boxing. Josh Kelly will have to put on a show to convince his fans and the boxing world that he is is still ready to compete at the highest level.
If the Sunderland man wins convincingly in June, he could look to continue his journey by facing opponents with bigger profiles.
Conor Benn is the name that has surrounded Kelly over recent years, however Benn is set to hunt down a welterweight world title in the near future. It's still a possible matchup further down the line, but for now it might be too soon to expect that fight.
Florian Marku is an option for Kelly, as the Albanian has an impressive unbeaten record of 11-0-1 (draw) after defeating Chris Jenkins last month. The undefeated boxer has held the IBF International Welterweight Title since September 2021 and is popular amongst British fans.
Watch Florian Marku vs. Chris Jenkins here: