Sunderland are back in football’s promised land after their ’Til The End’ play-off heroics. But what of the dreams of one of the city’s sporting greats going all the way?
Less than two weeks after the return of the Black Cats to the Premier League, Josh Kelly is back under the spotlight with his first outing of ‘Pretty Boy’ in 2025.
The 31-year-old tackles Romania’s Flavius Biea at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Friday, June 6, in Wasserman’s latest visit to the North-East which Josh says will be “beautiful and brutal”.
It has been a long, long time in coming – eight months since he was performing himself at Wembley when beating late sub Ishmael Davis while it will be 18 months since a devastating right upper cut put paid to Placido Ramirez at the Beacon of Light on his last appearance in the North-East.
Kelly had been due to tackle Liam Smith on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois undercard, only for ‘Beefy’ to pull out with a virus, and instead had to settle for a Sunderland v Leeds re-match at Wembley, which he appeared to win at a canter, though the judges deemed otherwise with Josh getting it by a majority decision.
After two fights against substitute opponents, it will have been hoped that something big would come next. Hopefully, that will be the case after his showdown with Biea which is his first showing on Channel 5 since beating Troy Williamson for the British light-welterweight title in the same ring in December 2022.
Kelly has been crowned Commonwealth and British in the Utilita Arena but it would be a dream come true to see the Ryhope lad become Sunderland’s first world champion. Maybe even at the Stadium of Light?
He is world-ranked by three of the four major governing bodies – at 11 with the WBC and at four with both the IBF and WBO. Conor Benn is at five with the IBF.
Kelly v Benn has been a Battle of Britain touted for some time and the Adam Booth-trained showman was happy to visit the subject in a recent date on Sky Sports’ Toe-2-Toe podcast
“Listen, I said that I would knock Conor Benn out,” Kelly told Andy Scott. “He’d probably jump on me and get stopped. If not I totally out-box him.”
The smart money is on Benn fighting Chris Eubank Jnr again in the early autumn, but surely a tilt at one of those world belts would be THE ultimate for the Wearsider? The ratings make it promising.
Before doing anything he must negotiate his way past Biea who brings a 24-1 record to Newcastle, half of his victories coming early. He has won 12 in a row since his lone career defeat back in 2017.
He is a little-known fighter, largely fighting in his native Romania, though he did win the exotically titled WBC Latino belt last year when he stopped Argentina’s Jonathan Eniz in Craiova.
Kelly’s record is 16-1-1, having reeled off six straight wins since his defeat to Europeran champion David Avanesyan in 2021.
“Biea has shown he’s got what plenty of others in my division haven’t – the minerals to step up and fight me,” said Josh when the fight was announced.
“You have to respect his warrior mentality but there are levels to this game, and on June 6, I will show him, and everyone watching on Channel 5, why I am world class.
“Biea will no doubt think he’ll be able to walk me down, but I’ll make him miss, and then I’ll make him pay. It will be beautiful and brutal.”
Not unlike last week’s play-off final!
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
