Heading back to the States. That is Josh Kelly, who will sign off 2019 with appearance in Arizona this month.
The unbeaten 25-year-old is to box on the undercard of Daniel Jacobs’ debut at super-middleweight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in Phoenix on Friday, December 20, an event which will be shown live here on Sky Sports and DAZN in North America.
It is good news for Kelly and the fans of ‘Pretty Boy’ who has fought only twice in 2019, making successful defences of his World Boxing Association International welterweight title.
No opponent or belt has been announced for the Sunderland boxer, but he is likely to have a 10-rounder at the wonderfully-named Talking Stick Resort Arena.
It will act as a prelude for a potential European welterweight championship showdown with David Avaneysan in the spring of 2020.
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn has already confirmed the fight will happen though the Nottinghamshire-based champ must first negotiate a defence of his belt in Madrid on December 12 against Jose Del Rio.
Hearn has described it as a “done deal” and “a big break out fight for both guys”. Certainly it will capture the attention of the boxing public after the furore surrounding the collapse of their scheduled WBA International fight 12 months ago.
Kelly was taken ill ahead of the match in Sheffield, which prompted Avaneysan’s manager, Neil Marsh, to describe Josh and his coach, Adam Booth, as “complete bottle jobs”.
Since then, the Rio Olympian has boxed twice, outpointing Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski at the 02 Arena in April and then being held to a draw by Ray Robinson on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz undercard in Madison Square Garden at the start of June.
Kelly came in for some stick from pundits and armchair fans but that defence came just 40 days after his London appearance and against a very good opponent in southpaw Robinson, with neither factor seeming to be taken into account by the ‘experts’ for a slightly off-key display.
A bout in Phoenix this month ‘down the card’ is just what the doctor ordered and hopefully he’ll come back firing on all cylinders and clinch his 10th win as a pro.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Ed Mulholland/ Matchroom
