Josh Kelly, who once played football alongside Jordan Pickford, is now setting his sights on boxing world title fights against opponents significantly taller than the England goalkeeper.
Kelly spent two years at Sunderland`s football academy but was released as he struggled to balance football commitments with his boxing training and weight management. He believes this ultimately worked out for the best, as he has found success in the boxing ring after giving up football.
Kelly recalled playing in a training match where Pickford was in goal, and felt he could have been a decent footballer, but decided to focus on boxing due to the physical demands of weight cutting affecting his development compared to his football peers. His path became clear when he began boxing for England.
Kelly had a distinguished amateur career, competing internationally and representing Great Britain at World and European levels. He qualified for the 2016 Olympics but was eliminated in the second round.
He turned professional in 2017, initially showing great promise with his flashy speed and eye-catching combinations. However, his career faced questions after a draw in 2019 and a loss in 2021.
He gradually rebuilt his career, moving from welterweight to light-middleweight (154lbs), where he won the British title.
Now, Kelly is targeting top fighters in the light-middleweight division, specifically mentioning the 6ft 6in WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora. Kelly described Fundora as “Tall; awkward; readable; I feel like he’s readable; he’s a freak as well.”
Despite weighing around 11 stone (154lbs), Fundora is the same height as 18 stone heavyweight star Anthony Joshua. Fundora recently won his world titles by defeating Tim Tszyu.
Kelly is also interested in potential fights against Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, especially after their recent high-profile bout in April, which saw the 28-year-old Benn lose to the 35-year-old Eubank after 12 rounds.
Kelly`s next fight is on Friday in Newcastle against Flavius Biea, who has a record of 24-1. Looking ahead, Kelly expressed his desire for “big fights – just ones that will get people talking, ones that will get people excited, ones where you get excited,” specifically mentioning Benn or Eubank as potential opponents.
Oliver Croft