Adam Booth believes Josh Kelly is ready to step into the big time.
The much-vaunted trainer is “really excited” about his star talent’s bid for the European welterweight title against holder David Avanesyan on Saturday, February 20.
It has the makings of a brilliant shoot-out between the undefeated Kelly and the highly-dangerous who has stopped his last two challengers inside the first round.
The rivals meet at Wembley at the fourth time of asking after the two Covid postponements which followed the very late collapse of their December 2018 meeting when Kelly was taken ill on the day of the show in Sheffield.
On that original date Kelly was defending his WBA International belt but now he is the challenger following Avanesyan’s hat-trick of Euro triumphs, all in Spain.
“When it was first made there was an attitude of ‘Josh is going to win’. He’s the house-fighter, the house fighter gets matched with an opponent and the house fighter wins, but it’s not like that now,” said Booth.
“The pendulum of the story has changed a little bit and that’s great because the gain is now so much more for Josh.
“What we’ve got is a great match-up and a fight I’m really excited about.”
Booth should be excited too.
Boxing fans certainly are as two top welters collide, live on Sky Sports.
When asked if it was a make or break night for the 26-year-old, the trainer hopes it will be a case of make rather than break for the Sunderland boxer.
“Every fight is make or break, because in no other sport does a win or a loss have more relevance than in boxing,” Booth told IFLTV.
“Any competitive fight is a breakthrough fight and it’s certainly a breakthrough fight in terms of the European [title] and consolidating a place in the world top 10 rankings.
“It’s a big step towards the ultimate goal of what he wants so it’s a breakthrough in that sense.
“Whether it’s a breakthrough fight in terms of Josh having something to prove certain things, only the fight will show that.”
Kelly has won 10 and drawn one of his 11 outings while Avanesyan, six years his senior, has a 26-3-1 log, with 14 of his victories coming early, including the last three.
To view Adam Booth’s entire interview on IFLTV click here.
While the Newark-based Russian has undeniably progressed during the last two years, Booth says so too has ‘Pretty Boy.
“It’s been two years of progression, mentally, physically and technically and everything else,” he told interviewer Kugan Cassius.
“Avanesyan has improved and gained confidence from winning the European title and defending it so I think it is a better fight now than it was when it was first made.
“Josh is ready and we have our eyes on the now and the future and not the past.”
With Booth explaining that his boxer is ready, he added that they now “have the luxury of sharpening, rehearsing and fine-tuning”.
With Avanesyan looking and sounding confide it means it’s going to be some fight.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
