Josh Kelly (11-1-1, 7 KOs) will be counting on the support of the North East to get him over the line when he competes against Lucas Bastida (18-1-1, 10 KOs) for the WBO International Super Welterweight Championship on Saturday July 30 at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, free-to-air and live on Channel 5.

This is an unbelievable chance for one of these fighters to break into the world rankings with the WBO. After a dominant performance against Peter Kramer, Kelly will look to carry that confidence to cement himself into the world rankings.

Alongside the reward of a world ranking also comes big fights. With the division being held up by undisputed champion Jermell Charlo, Kelly will be looking to reintroduce himself dramatically onto the global scene of the super welterweight division.

Now Kelly not only has the thrill of fighting in front of his own, but a title on the line certainly adds any final elements of motivation needed. Having been given the news, Kelly was elated and confident that this was only the start of big things to come.

“I’m buzzing, and I’m ready. There’s no reason to sugar-coat the fact that my opponent will be putting even more into training to come and try to cause an upset,” said Kelly. “We are covering all bases in camp, and when you have world title aspirations you make sure you’re preparing like a world champion.”

He continues, “The WBO belt adds that additional spice to things, and it’s about me going out there and being Josh Kelly that will see it leaving the arena with me in front of my friends and family. We are the North East, and we don’t do things in half-measures. On fight night, i’ll be there to push the pace and show why this will be the first belt of many.”

Bastida will be providing a very real threat to the title aspirations of Sunderland’s ‘PBK’. At 25-years-old the Argentine has had additional rounds, but holds a similar record to Kelly in only having one loss and one draw on his record. The narrow margins between the fighters guarantee a technical and excellent battle between two men looking to give it all to claim the belt and move on to endless possibilities in their next fight.

After two hugely successful terrestrial television shows, the announcement of a title promises to entertain all those in attendance at the Vertu Motors Arena as well as the Channel 5 audience. Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland, expressed his delight for Kelly and the doors it could open to get the North East boy back where he belongs.

“Josh Kelly fighting for titles feels like one of the most natural things in boxing,” said Sauerland. “His pedigree and his ability rightfully have him fighting for the WBO International belt when we blow the roof off the Vertu Motors Arena. This will stick Josh’s name exactly where it belongs and sets up an exciting future where massive fights can be made for our former Olympian. Newcastle, be ready!”

The North East takeover is coming as Josh Kelly (11-1-1, 7 KOs) vs. Lucas Bastida (18-1-1, 10 KOs) headline on an electric fight night. Olympic hero Pat McCormack (1-0, 1 KO) also stars, alongside Harlem Eubank (14-0, 6 KOs) as he continues his title charge against Tom ‘Fazza’ Farrell (21-5, 5 KOs). Heavyweights Hosea Stewart (2-0) and Franklin Ignatius (3-0, 1 KO) guaranteed to produce fireworks amongst top local talent such as Mark Dickinson (3-0, 1 KO), ‘Drago’ Steve Robinson (4-1, 3 KOs), Kai Richmond (1-0), Ben Marksby (4-0), Lisa Whiteside (3-0, 1KO) and Jordan Barker-Porter (3-1) on an unforgettable night in the North East. Wasserman Boxing heads to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle for a massive night of free-to-air boxing on Saturday July 30, live on Channel 5 in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.
 
Tickets priced £40, £80, £100 and £200 are on sale now and available via www.wassermanboxing.com

After the dismantling of Peter Kramer in Liverpool, Josh Kelly (11-1-1, 7 KOs) wastes no time in returning to action as he leads the North East takeover on July 30 in Newcastle. Live on Channel 5, Kelly faces one of the toughest challenges of his career when he faces ‘El Tornado’ Lucas Bastida (18-1-1, 10 KOs).

The calculated and methodical win for Kelly last time out showed the boxing intelligence of Sunderland’s ‘PBK’, but Bastida will be coming to provide a much sterner test at Super Welterweight. Having suffered defeat only once, the Argentine fighter will be coming to try and spoil the party in the main event.

It will be an eagerly contested fight, as both men hold similar records. Both fighters suffering one loss and one draw, as well as sharing around a 50% KO ratio too. Both men also in their twenties, with Kelly the more experienced at 28-years-old. It is the opportunity for two young and hungry fighters to steal the show on an electric Saturday July 30 event in Newcastle, and put themselves into contention for serious title honours.

“He is a tough South American who has plenty of experience for a fighter who is 25-years-old. To only have one loss on his record shows how tough he is, there’s no doubt he’ll be coming to win,” said Kelly.

“He’s someone who is going to give me the hard rounds I need to get back into the mix for big fights and major titles. It’s very much the same from me though – I’m coming to show my class and I’ll be looking to get him out, 100%.” 

Argentine Bastida will be coming to conduct his own takeover as he’ll be looking to capitalise on a TKO win in a South American title bout in his last fight. He will also be confident in the fact he will be the taller fighter, as the 25-year-old stands at 6’1” and edges Kelly with 8 more rounds under his belt.

After analysing the career of Kelly, it is Bastida who believes he will come out on top having found what he believes to be is the winning formula for this fight.

“Josh Kelly has Olympic experience, he’s a good boxer and very fast. I saw in his fight against Avanesyan that he got knocked down, and then he got stopped, so I think the key to victory will be to go to war from the beginning of the fight,” said Bastida.

“For me this is my first fight abroad, I’m a warrior in life so I’ll be going to war as soon as the bell rings.”

Following the format of his nickname, “El Tornado” will be looking to arrive and cause as much destruction as possible before moving on. Kelly has stated before that he is back with vengeance, and will be happy to weather any condition that the Argentine throws his way.

It is guaranteed to be an unbelievable atmosphere at the Vertu Motors Arena, and the main event promises to blow the roof off when two warriors meet to mark one of these impressive records with a rare blemish.

A Super Lightweight showdown has been added to the card, with Harlem Eubank (14-0, 6KOs) squaring off against Tom ‘Fazza’ Farrell (21-5, 5 KOs). Both fighters will be brimming with confidence off the back of wins in their last bouts.

Farrell defeated a potential Nigerian nightmare in Olaide Fijabi at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool earlier this month, as he answered all the questions to outpoint his opponent in a hard-fought contest. Having come through the six-round fight, Farrell will be looking to call upon a similar approach to overcome an undefeated Harlem Eubank.

A second-round KO proved to be one of the highlights of the night in London on May 13 when Eubank caught his opponent flush to end the fight against Sean Dodd. The Brighton man continues heading in an upward trajectory in a professional career that is yet to taste defeat.

With each performance, Eubank continues to show his development and ever-growing intentions for bigger fights and bigger honours. The 28-year-old will now be looking for another statement win against a tough Farrell to put his name in contention for titles.  

The big boys join the North East takeover also, as Hosea Stewart (2-0) faces Franklin Ignatius (3-0, 1 KO) in the Heavyweight division. Zero losses on each man’s record, and the ‘0’ has to go as two young fighters look to put their name in lights at the Vertu Motors Arena.

Stewart will be going in search of the first knockout win of his fledgling professional boxing career as the 24-year-old will be looking to steal the limelight at the North East takeover. Ignatius will be coming to grab headlines of his own and add another knockout to his undefeated record.

The North East takeover is coming as Josh Kelly (11-1-1, 7 KOs) Vs. Lucas Bastida (18-1-1, 10 KOs) headlines on an electric fight night, featuring Harlem Eubank (14-0, 6 KOs) as he continues his charge towards titles against Tom ‘Fazza’ Farrell (21-5, 5 KOs). A boxing debut in Newcastle for Aaron Chalmers (1-0) as he looks to star in his second professional fight in front of a packed out arena in his home city, with Hosea Stewart (2-0) and Franklin Ignatius (3-0, 1 KO) set to shake the arena in a Heavyweight contest guaranteed to produce fireworks. Wasserman Boxing heads to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle for a massive night of free-to-air boxing on Saturday July 30, live on Channel 5 in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Tickets priced £40, £80, £100 and £200 are one sale now and available via www.wassermanboxing.com

Nathan Gorman powered his way to the IBF International Heavyweight Championship as he twice downed his opponent in a punishing first-round stoppage of Tomas Salek at the M&S Bank Arena on Friday June 17, live on Channel 5. Stoppages were the theme of the main card as ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly reminded everyone of his class and technical ability in a fourth-round TKO victory over the Hungary’s Peter Kramer.

With his name upon the banners, Nathan Gorman did not disappoint the Channel 5 audience and all those in attendance at the M&S Bank Arena on a fantastic Wasserman Boxing fight night. Gorman had a job to do after 15 months out of the ring, but had clearly been working on all the physical and technical aspects of his game to overwhelm is Czech opponent.

The pressure on Gorman intensified as his cousin and WBC Heavyweight king, Tyson Fury, entered the arena in typically flamboyant style. ‘The Gypsy King’ would not be left disappointed, as all of the improvements made by Gorman left Tomas Salek stunned once the first heavy blow had been thrown.

After applying pressure from the first bell, Salek got caught with a heavy shot to meet the canvas a little earlier than planned. The referees count was reluctantly met by the Czech Heavyweight champion, only for Gorman to scythe him down once more with another brutal punch.

“It’s been a fantastic night,” said Gorman. “What a way to come back to the boxing ring.”

“Tomas Salek has only lost to good fighters, but I think I’m the only one to do it in that impressive style. I’m really happy and really pleased with it, live on Channel 5 as well so hopefully there were plenty of happy people watching.”

“It’s now about being active. I’m only 25-years-old, but I want to keep pushing on and hunting for them titles. There’s a hell of a long career ahead of me yet, and there’s big things to come.”

The wait was finally over as the Liverpool crowd stood to cheer Josh Kelly back to the squared circle for the first time in over a year. The fluid and natural boxing that Kelly has been renowned for showed no sign of rust as the Sunderland man looked even more focused and spiteful than he had previously.

His opponent, Peter Kramer, had shown up to become a banana skin and use his durability and experience to spoil the party. This was not the case, as Kelly wore the Hungarian down with a blend of speed, movement and some hard-hitting uppercuts that inevitably saw the referee wave off proceedings in the fourth round.

“Nothing ever replicates fight night – training for it, travelling away to arenas, preparing in the changing rooms. Nothing replicates it,” said Kelly.

“Round after round, I could feel myself getting sharper and I started reading him a lot better. I wanted to put a statement out there with my jab, and it worked well tonight to break him down to the point he started taking a few too many shots.”

“I was saying to Adam (Booth) that I’m going to land a right-uppercut on this guy. When they started landing and doing the job, I thought if he’s going to just sit there and take it then I’m just going to keep giving it to him.”

“He goes the distance with heavier guys normally, like Super-Middleweights. To hurt him, and make him physically shaken, shows what strength and power I carry at 154lbs.”

Chloe Watson avoided any slip-up in her homecoming fight, as the city of Liverpool cheered her on to victory. Watson’s opponent, El Bousairi, had been described as a very game opponent all week and someone to push the young fighter. It was an accomplished performance that saw Watson get over the line with a 59-56 points win.

Elsewhere on the card, it was a successful debut for Aaron Chalmers as he passed the test with a 39-37 points victory over Alexander Zeledon. There were plenty of signs to show the potential of Chalmers and his entry into the sport, with the former Geordie Shore star looking comfortable in heavier gloves having swapped the cage for ropes.

Undercard Results

Mason Cartwright def.  Angel Emilov via points, 80-72

Matty Harris def. Pawel Strykowski via first-round KO

Paddy Lacey def. Ryan Broten via first-round TKO

Tom Farrell def. Olaide Fijabi via points, 58-57

Tom Aitchison def. Ezequiel Gregores via fourth-round TKO

Gadatamen Taylor def. Marcos Molloy via points, 48-47

John Edwardson def. Stefan Nicolae via points, 42-36

Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) will face Hungarian Peter Kramer (12-5-3, 8 KOs) in Liverpool on Friday June 17 as Wasserman Boxing presents another huge night of action, live on Channel 5.

Kramer will enter the ring full of confidence off the back of a big win, and will be looking to seize the opportunity of taking a big name like Josh Kelly to push for another title challenge.

The momentum of his last fight will also be married alongside the additional experience of the 32-year-old Hungarian. Kramer has fought in Britain before, and can boast the greater ring experience with eight more fights and over 20 more rounds.

Kelly has previously expressed his readiness to shine having been out of action since February 2021, and Kramer could face the wrath of the rejuvenated “PBK”.

“I can’t wait to give Liverpool, the United Kingdom, and the world the chance to see Josh Kelly at his best again,” said Kelly.

“I’m ready to do whatever, and that starts with a dominant display live on Channel 5 in Liverpool. I can’t wait to give my fans, and all fans of the sport, a masterclass come fight night.”

Live on terrestrial television, Kelly will have the perfect opportunity to get back on track as he continues his pursuit on fulfilling his world title aspirations.

Kalle Sauerland, Head Of Global Boxing at Wasserman said: “Josh’s talent is assured in that ring, and the fighting city of Liverpool gets to host it. With over a million viewers on Channel 5 last time, the country will get the opportunity to witness a refreshed and ready “Pretty Boy” Josh Kelly.”  

Due to a shoulder injury suffered in training, Marcel Braithwaite has been forced to pull out of the British Super Flyweight Title Eliminator against Thomas Essomba.

Heavyweights collide as Nathan Gorman (18-1, 12 KOs) takes on Tomas Salek (17-3, 13 KOs) as part of a huge night of free-to-air boxing on Friday June 17 at the M&S Bank Arena. ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) also features alongside the professional debut of Aaron Chalmers and former Team GB fighter Chloe Watson (2-0) as she continues her undefeated start as a professional under the tutelage of Ricky Hatton, fighting over 6 rounds in the Flyweight division against Fara El Bousairi (5-2, 1 KO). The undefeated Paddy Lacey (2-0) and John Edwardson (2-0) will both be looking for wins in front of their home crowd, with Mason ‘Nutty’ Cartwright (17-3, 7 KOs) and heavyweight’s Hosea Stewart (2-0) and giant ‘Magic’ Matty Harris (2-0, 1 KO) also promising to provide Liverpool with more highlight moments. Promoted by Wasserman Boxing, live on Channel 5, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Tickets are available via https://www.ticketquarter.co.uk/

Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) will look to put his name back amongst the division’s best as he makes his long-awaited return to the ring on Friday June 17 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool as part of an action-packed night of free-to-air boxing live on Channel 5.

London had previously come calling for Kelly, and the Sunderland lad accepted willingly to get the capital rocking. However, after vigorous preparations, and through no fault of his own, his opponent pulled out of the fight at the last minute.

Kelly had snarled and bared his teeth all week, hungry to do the business and carrying a steely gaze throughout. All noteworthy deterrents to force his opponent into no-showing, which could be considered a wise move on the part of the opposing camp. Nevertheless, frustrating circumstances for Kelly that were left out of his hands.

“It’s never an ideal situation when you commit to the grind and graft for a whole camp for your opponent to pull the plug at the last minute,” said Kelly.

“It’s not the first, or last, time it will happen in boxing. My job is to prepare and be ready for whoever, whenever; I’ll be leaving no stone unturned come June 17.”

This is bad news for the rest of the division as an even more prepared Josh Kelly awaits them all. Besides having an extra camp under his belt, the opportunity to exert over 12 months of frustration will be something he is also relishing.

“No one wants to be inactive, but you can look at it in a completely different light and use the time to fill the gaps and make all your dangerous assets even more deadly,” he said.

“I can’t wait to give Liverpool, the United Kingdom, and the world the chance to see Josh Kelly at his best again.”

With the carrot having previously been dangled in front of him, Liverpool will be the destination that the former European Games Bronze medallist can finally explode back onto the scene.

“Nothing has changed, I said I was after world titles before and I’m still after them,” Kelly said.

“I’m ready to do whatever, and that starts with a dominant display live on Channel 5 in Liverpool. I can’t wait to give my fans, and all fans of the sport, a masterclass come fight night.”

Kalle Sauerland, Head Of Global Boxing at Wasserman said: “For Josh to stick his name straight back into the hat for this stacked Liverpool card emphasises his hunger and desire to be boxing again.

“Josh’s talent is assured in that ring, and the fighting city of Liverpool gets to host it. With over a million viewers on Channel 5 last time, the country will get the opportunity to witness a refreshed and ready ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly.”

Heavyweights collide as Nathan Gorman (18-1, 12 KOs) takes on Tomas Salek (17-3, 13 KOs) as part of a huge night of free-to-air boxing on Friday June 17 at the M&S Bank Arena. ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) also features alongside an electric British Super Flyweight Title Eliminator between Liverpool’s Marcel Braithwaite (12-3) and Thomas Essomba (11-7-1, 4 KOs). This unbelievable card will also host the professional debut of Aaron Chalmers, former Team GB fighter Chloe Watson (2-0) against Fara El Bousairi  (5-2, 1 KO), the undefeated Paddy Lacey (2-0) , Mason ‘Nutty’ Cartwright (17-3, 7 KOs) and heavyweight giant ‘Magic’ Matty Harris (2-0, 1 KO). Promoted by Wasserman Boxing, live on Channel 5, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Tickets are available via https://www.ticketquarter.co.uk/

Adam Booth is one of British boxing’s most experienced and successful guiding lights, and he’ll be homing in on those skills as Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) returns to steal the show on Friday night when boxing comes to the Indigo at the O2, live and free-to-air on Channel 5.

Josh Kelly suffered his first career defeat at the hands of former WBA Welterweight Title holder David Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) in February 2021, a situation Booth has found himself in before.

“The loss and what happened that night was a culmination of things going on outside of the gym and outside of the ring that he has taken his time to resolve and correct. It is an essential part of his journey.

“I’ve had the experience of seeing fighters lose at a lower level, to then come back and achieve at a much higher level. Somebody with the ability of Josh Kelly, with desire, discipline and healthy focus, is a nightmare for anyone.”

Former Cruiserweight and Heavyweight Champion, David Haye, suffered his first career loss as Booth watched on from the corner to see 40-year-old Carl Thompson force a fifth-round stoppage of his man.

On the night, Haye dominated the early rounds with his energy and combinations, but could not maintain the pace. Kelly has shown he oozes talent in many of his fights too, but has come under scrutiny when faced with pressure.

The fact that Kelly has returned emphasises a clear indication that the hunger to fight on burns bright, and the eagerness to fulfill his potential is prominent. Booth’s backing of Kelly is of the highest order, as are the heights in which he is destined for.  

“He can become a World Champion. Absolutely. I’ve always thought that,” said Booth.

“Josh is a talented, intelligent, and capable young man who could do a lot of different things in life. He’s chosen to come back and keep doing this, which in itself shows his determination.”

It is an eagerly anticipated return for Kelly, who has all the credentials to get back to winning ways on Friday evening. No one believes this more than Booth, who is as excited as anyone to get Kelly operating in his best place – as himself.

“Josh Kelly as a fighter? Talented, tough, incredible imagination, and unpredictable.

“The one thing we are encouraging Josh to be is himself, and he is a highly entertaining individual in terms of whether you have a conversation and a laugh with him, or you watch him spar. It’s about him expressing himself.”

The hotly anticipated British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs), the return of Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) against Xhuljo Vrenozi (18-4,3 KOs) and Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) versus Sean Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) will top a stacked card in the capital as Wasserman Boxing launch their first free-to-air event live on Channel 5 on Friday May 13 at the Indigo at the O2, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Limited tickets are still available via www.wassermanboxing.com

Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs), Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) and the hotly anticipated British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs) will top a stacked card in the capital as Wasserman Boxing launch their first free-to-air event live on Channel 5 on Friday May 13 at the Indigo at the O2, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly will make his long-awaited ring return after a twelve-month absence as the former GB Olympian begins a new chapter in his career with Wasserman Boxing on Channel 5. Having suffered his sole career defeat last time out when challenging David Avanesyan for the European Welterweight Title in February 2021, the Adam Booth trained 28-year-old is itching to get back under the lights and back to the form that saw him heralded as one of British boxing’s most exciting prospects. With World Titles still in his sights, the former Commonwealth and WBA International Welterweight Champion is eager to put on a show and secure a statement win in London.

“I’m excited to get back into the ring and to start this new chapter in my career,” said Kelly. “This is where I belong, and I can’t wait to get back out there and put on a show. I took some time out to sort some personal issues out after my last fight but now I’m ready to get back to what I do best. The next bit of my career is going to be huge. I’m after World Titles. I’m not in the game for anything less. I know I will have to dig deep to get there but I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get a World Title whether that be at Welterweight or Super Welterweight.”

Luton’s ‘Lightning’ Udofia announced himself on the domestic scene with a points win over Tyler Denny to claim the English Middleweight Title in November 2019. The 28-year-old followed this up with a convincing stoppage win over John Harding Jr to defend the belt behind closed doors in Milton Keynes before blasting out Xhuljo Vrenozi in three-rounds at the OVO Arena Wembley. Udofia will now attempt to add the British Title to his collection as he faces his toughest career test against the former champion Bentley.

World ranked Bentley from Battersea returns to the ring following an emphatic third-round technical knockout win over Sam Evans as he looks to recapture the Lonsdale strap he won when stopping Mark Heffron inside four rounds in November 2020, before losing the belt in his first defence to Felix Cash.

“This is a massive fight for me. I’ve always wanted to box for the British Title and to get the opportunity to do it headlining a big show on Channel 5 is a dream come true,” said Udofia. “I want to thank my promoters the Sauerland brothers at Wasserman and my manager Steve Goodwin for getting me into this position. Now, it’s time to show everyone what I can do. I’ve seen a lot of Denzel Bentley. He’s a good operator, he’s very slick and I think our styles are going to gel really well. This is going to be a good fight for the public.”

“I’m excited for this opportunity to box for the British Title again,” said Bentley. “I know my opponent Linus Udofia is a good boxer and it’s going to be a real 50-50 fight. I’m expecting a full-blooded, fan-friendly affair. I can’t wait till fight night. I’m itching to prove that I am still one of the best fighters in the division.”

Rising star Harlem Eubank will take on former Commonwealth Champion and two-time British Title challenger Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) in an exciting ten-round Super Lightweight showdown.

Fresh from a fifth-round stoppage win against former IBF Intercontinental Champion Viorel Simion on the undercard of cousin Chris Eubank Jr’s blockbuster clash with Liam Williams, Eubank can continue his upward career trajectory with a victory over the experienced Birkenhead-boxer Dodd.

“I remember watching my cousin Chris on Channel 5 back in the day,” said Eubank. “It feels great to now have the chance to build my career on a big free-to-air platform. It’s going to be the first of many fights on Channel 5, working with the Sauerlands at Wasserman, and it’s a good fight to get started with.

“Sean Dodd is an experienced boxer. He’s been around the game for a long time. He’s tall and rangy and he likes to fight so I think it’s going to be interesting, but I’m going to be more than prepared for what’s in front of me.”

“This is the sort of opportunity I’ve been looking for,” said Dodd. “I felt I was unfairly done by in my last fight, but this is going to be a proper ten round fight and I’m going to make a big statement.”

In another thrilling domestic scrap, ‘The Newquay Bomb’ Brad Pauls (15-0, 9 KOs) will face Birmingham’s Ryan Kelly (16-3, 8 KOs) in an eliminator for the British Middleweight Title. The unbeaten Pauls will be fighting for the right to challenge for the Lonsdale belt training partner and friend Udofia is contesting on the same night but the Cornish fighter can expect stiff competition from the battle hardened Brummie Kelly, whose only losses have come against top domestic opposition.

“I’m glad I’ve finally got my chance on the big stage in a proper fight against someone ranked higher than me,” said Pauls. “There is everything to gain for me with a shot at the British Title on the line. Ryan Kelly is in the way of me getting my dream belt and I’m taking this fight very seriously. I’m happy to get this fight on such a big platform. This is an opportunity for me to put Cornwall on the boxing map.”

“I am really happy to be on such a big show in a live fight against an undefeated fighter in Brad Pauls,” said Kelly. “I have been working away for this fight since before Christmas and I’m over the moon to finally get the date. People are yet to see the best of Ryan Kelly but for this fight I get full preparation and I’m in the best place for it. It’s my time.”

“We’re delighted to kick start our partnership with Channel 5 with this fantastic free-to-air event,” said Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland. “When we signed the deal with Channel 5, we said we wanted to revolutionise free-to-air boxing in the UK by bringing the biggest and best fights possible to the masses. The revolution starts now. We have three sensational domestic matchups, including a mouth-watering British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia and Denzel Bentley, which promises to be a real 50-50 tear up; Harlem Eubank against fan favourite Sean Dodd; and ‘The Newquay Bomb’ Brad Pauls in British Title eliminator versus Ryan Kelly. Not to mention the return of one of British boxing’s most exciting fighters, Josh ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly. This is an event you do not want to miss!”

“We’re excited to be working with Wasserman Boxing to bring this first-class fight night to our audience on Channel 5,” said Caj Sohal, Head of Sport at Channel 5. “Josh Kelly is back and ready to realise his star potential; Linus Udofia versus Denzel Bentley for the British Title promises to be a fight of the year contender; and having previously showcased Chris Eubank Jr on the channel, we look forward to welcoming Harlem Eubank to Channel 5 as he emerges as the latest boxing talent from this famous fighting family.”

“This is a big opportunity for Denzel Bentley to get his British title back,” said Francis Warren for Queensbury Promotions. “He’s a top, top talent, and he gets the chance to showcase what he’s all about on May 13 against a very good opponent in Linus Udofia in his hometown. Denzel is up for this big time. The chance to become a two time British champion is there for the taking, and I fully expect him to grab it with both hands.”

For more information and to sign up for exclusive pre-sale tickets, please visit the Wasserman Boxing website: www.wassermanboxing.com

David Avanesyan stopped Josh Kelly in round six of their scheduled 12-round welterweight clash at the SSE Wembley Arena in London, England.

Avanesyan started to break Kelly down, and in round six he hurt Kelly and dropped him with a hard left-right combination. With Kelly bleeding over his left eye, Avanesyan rocked Kelly again and buckled him with a left hook. One more left look sent Kelly to he ground as the towel was being thrown in at 2:15.

Avanesyan, 146.6 lbs of Tabynskoe, RUS is 27-3-1 with 15 knockouts. Kelly, 146 lbs of Sunderland, ENG is 10-1-1.

“I feel very very good,” Avanesyan told Sky Sports afterwards. “I waited a long time for this fight. I put a lot of hard work into this fight. I came to join my coach and my manager from another country. I’ve had long spells away from my children. I miss them. I haven’t seen my children, my parents and my friends for a long time. 

“Thank you to my team and to the English fans for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to Matchroom, they put on the number one best show. I’ve had many big nights against the likes of Shane Mosley and Lamont Peterson, but this one with Matchroom is number one. 

“I am very happy. Thank you to god for my win today. Thank you to my manager and my coach. Carl sacrificed a lot of time with his family for my training. He has been my friend, my driver and my coach. I don’t like to speak too much. This is business. I know Josh is fast. I am fast too. Boxing is difficult. When you lose, many people think you are finished. This is boxing, you go down. This is life. I will wake up tomorrow morning a champion.”

Trainer Carl Greaves said: “I told everybody this would happen and they all thought I was a crazy coach who knows nothing. I knew exactly how it was going to go. I’ve spent over five years with David now. I’ve seen so much. I’ve seen all of these talented kids keeping him off for a certain amount of time, 30 seconds to a minute, but he finds a way every time. I was so confident in this fight. I knew it was going to go like that. I’m a bit gutted because I had £500 on round seven!”

Marku Stops Charlton in Eight

Florian Marku got off the deck to comeback and stop Rylan Charlton in round eight of a scheduled 10-round bout of undefeated welterweights

In round six, Charlton dropped Marku with a left to the head.

In round eight, Marku landed a big body shot that hurt Chalrton. That gave Marku an opportunity to open up and rock Charlton, and the towel at 2:18.

Marku, 146.8 lbs of Lushnje, ALB is 8-0-1 with six knockouts. Charlton, 144.6 lbs of Norwich, ENG is 6-1-1.

“I am really happy,” said Marku. “A lot of people thought that he would humiliate me and knock me out, but I showed that I can box. I will learn a lot from this fight. Three weeks before the fight, I dislocated a finger in my left hand. My team and all of the staff know that I was injured but I was never going to pull out of the fight. I came here to fight.

“After the fifth round I started feeling my hand. It was not a problem. I am happy about the performance. Rylan took so many good hits in the head. He took a lot of punishment. I was beating him and I was talking to him. I told him I was going to beat him and talk to him. I was telling him I’m not Joe Laws. I take the win and we go forward.

“His face was swollen and it was a good decision from his corner. He took a lot of punishment. I love to fight, this is my life. Thanks to the UK fans that believe in me. They like to see me fight. I love pressure. I’ll fight whoever my team S-JAM boxing decide next. Sam Jones and Adam Morallee got me into this position. I have the best team around me.”

Valenzuela decisions Davies Jr.

Gabriel Valenzuela won a 10-round majority decision over Robbie Davies Jr. in a junior welterweight bout.

In round three, Valenzuela decked Davies with a solid right hand to the chin the wobbled Davies, and another right put Davies on the canvas. In round four, Valenzuela was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

In round seven, Valenzuela was cut over the left eye. In round nine, he had a deepercut under his right eye.

Valenzuela, 138.8 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX won by scores of 96-95 twice and 94-94, and is now 23-2-1/ Davies Jr., 138.2 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 20-3.

Jordan Gill won a 10-round unanimous decision over former two-time title challenger Jordan Gill in a featherweight fight.

Gill, 125.5 lbs of Chatteris, ENG won ny scores of 98-92, 98-93 and 96-94 to raise his record to 26-1. Juarez, 125.2 lbs of Mexico City. MEX is 25-10.

Johnny Fisher made a successful pro debut with a beatdown of Matt Gordon inside of the 1st round heavyweight bout.

In the opening round Fisher was all over Gordan and was able to drop him twice. Upon the 2nd knockdown, Gordan was in no condition to continue and the fight was stopped at 2:29.

Fisher, 237 lbs of Romford, ENG is 1-0 with one knockout. Gordon, 241 lbs of West Bromwich, ENG is 2-6-1.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Fisher. “I know I’ve had a massive build-up; I’ve had Lennox Lewis sending me messages and Tyson Fury sending me messages. I had a lot of pressure on me, but I’ve shown that I can handle that pressure.

“All credit to Matt Gordon, but I bowled him over in one round. Normally Heavyweights are doing it in two, three or four rounds, so I’ve done a good job. Nobody needs to get unnecessarily hurt. I knew that I had him hurt when I first got him down. It was only a matter of time, so the ref did the right thing.

“I felt right and I felt comfortable, more comfortable than any of my amateur fights. I belong here, and I’ve got to prove that I belong here every time I fight. I’ve got a very long way to go, I know I’m only just beginning. Let’s just see how far we can go. I live and breathe boxing. I love training. I’d do it every single day of the week if I was allowed. I’ve got great people around me. There’s things I need to work on but I’ve showed my power tonight.”

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA International Featherweight Title
JORDAN GILL 8st 13lbs 5oz v CESAR JUAREZ 8st 13lbs 2oz
(Chatteris, England)                  (Mexico City, Mexico)

followed by

4 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
JOHNNY FISHER 16st 13lbs 10oz v MATT GORDON 17st 3lbs 10oz
(Romford, England)                          (West Bromwich, England)

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant IBF Intercontinental Super-Lightweight Title 
ROBBIE DAVIES JR 9st 12lbs 2oz v GABRIEL VALENZUELA 9st 12lbs 8oz
(Liverpool, England)                          (Guadalajara, Mexico)

followed by

10 x 3 mins International Welterweight contest
FLORIAN MARKU 10st 6lbs 8oz v RYLAN  CHARLTON 10st 4lbs 6oz
(Lushnje, Albania)                             (Norwich, England)

followed by

12 x 3 mins European Welterweight Title
DAVID AVANESYAN 10st 6lbs 6oz v JOSH KELLY 10st 6lbs
(Tabynskoe, Russia)                         (Sunderland, England)

Eddie Hearn:

“Wow. We’re just about catching our breath after an incredible night of boxing last Saturday here at The SSE Arena, Wembley live on Sky Sports across the UK and DAZN all around the world. Last Saturday was special. Last Saturday reminded us why we love the sport of boxing. The pain of defeat, the harrowing silence of Josh Warrington’s shock defeat at the hands of Mexico’s Mauricio Lara, which has spurred on a nation of fighters, particularly Cesar Juarez and Gabriel Valenzuela as well.

“What a thrilling night from top to bottom. For me, this Saturday I think we have one of the cards, and one of the main events in particular, that I haven’t looked forward to like this for a long long time. This is a brilliant night of boxing, and we’re so pleased to be keeping the sport going, keeping the momentum going, and we can’t thank our partners enough, across the board, Betfred, JD, Wow Hydrate and of course Sky Sports and DAZN. This sport is getting bigger and bigger. This is just the start of a huge year for us.”

David Avanesyan – Tabynskoe, Russia – 26-3-1, 14 KOs – defending his European Welterweight Title against Josh Kelly:

“This fight has been coming for a long time. The date has changed many times. I’ve had many training camps. I hope everything is good tomorrow with the weight. I need to win this fight. This is my work. I give everything to win this fight. I’m going to give 100% to take the win. After the fight I will go home to see my children and my family. This is a must-win fight for me. It’s a big fight. English, Russian and Spanish fans have been messaging me. On Saturday night we’re going to show a good fight. I’m going to give everything to win this fight.”

Josh Kelly – Sunderland, England – 10-0-1, 6 KOs – challenging David Avanesyan for the European Welterweight Title:

“I’ve got great respect for David, and I’ll just echo what he said, family and health is the most important thing. We’ve got to get a job done on Saturday. It’s my main aim in 2021 to start off with this European Title. I’ve stepped up to levels that I couldn’t even imagine I could do in the gym. I thought last time I was ready, but COVID came and it got cancelled. I was nowhere near ready compared to what I am now. All I need to do is go and put a show on on Saturday. I’ve done a lot of talking this week and I feel like I’ve expressed myself  fully on what I believe will happen. We’ve just got to do the dance on Saturday. I think David is a strong capable fighter. I believe that I’m a big Welterweight, and I’m strong. I’m a very strong Welterweight. Saturday night is going to be a night for everyone to enjoy I think. Now it’s time to quiet down, focus in and get the job done.”

Florian Marku – Lushnje, Albania – 7-0-1, 5 KOs – fighting Rylan Charlton in a ten round Welterweight contest:
“I am more ready than I have ever been before. I couldn’t wait for this day after my injustice that they did to me in my last fight. I couldn’t wait to step into the ring again to show what I’m about. I’m really happy that Rylan is undefeated. People think that he will cause me real problems. This is the fight that I want. I don’t want fights where people expect me to wipe out my opponents fast. I’m going to do this against Charlton, but people aren’t expecting me to do it. I feel very good. The people can think what they want. I’m in my best shape ever, and on Saturday you will see what I’m going to do. I have changed many things in my game-plan. The fans want to see the knockout and the aggressiveness. I don’t think Rylan will stay toe to toe with me.”

Rylan Charlton – Norwich, England – 6-0-1, 3 KOs – fighting Florian Marku in a ten round Welterweight contest:

“I’m just going to get in there, do what I do best, and if Florian wants to come and meet me in the middle, he’ll be thinking otherwise when I land a shot. He’ll be on the back foot, 100%. It’s a massive opportunity. The Laws fight, people still don’t know enough about me because I only got in there and did three rounds. This is going to really get my name out there once I beat Marku. It’s similar to the Laws fight, he’s just a big ticket seller. I’ve already done one big ticket seller, and now I’m going to do another big ticket seller. Then I’ll be the big ticket seller! I think he’s going to be more cautious because it’s over ten rounds. He can’t afford to come running at me. If he does come running at me then he’s going to walk onto the Pint Size power! It’s as simple as that. I could knock him out yeah, easily. We’ll have to wait and see. It could be points or a knockout. The win is all I focus on.”

Robbie Davies Jr – Liverpool, England – 20-2, 13 KOs – fighting Gabriel Valenzuela for the vacant IBF Intercontinental Super-Lightweight Title:

“I’m looking forward to being back. Make no mistake, what happened last week is not going to be happening this week. I’ve been preparing for a long time, even with the pandemic I’ve stayed in the gym, kept ticking over. This fight has come around at the right time. Come Saturday night I’m going to do a job. With me joining the new gym, I thought I’d use this time to learn more on my craft and the Ingle way with Dom and the team. I think being in the gym all of the time is probably going to benefit me more than it would have done if I’d have just jumped back in the gym eights weeks ago. I’ve seen glimpses of him and he seems like a good fighter. He’s very capable. Like I say with all of my opponents, I don’t watch too much of them and I don’t analyse too much. I leave that to my team. I’m sparring with world level guys like Kid Galahad and Liam Williams in the gym. Whatever he brings to the table I’m going to be ready for it.”

Gabriel Valenzuela – Guadalajara, Mexico – 22-2-1, 13 KOs – fighting Robbie Davies Jr for the vacant IBF Intercontinental Super-Lightweight Title:

“Obviously it is a huge motivating factor, that Mexico have come over here and caused an upset in another country. We’re going to repeat that on Saturday. We want to make sure we finish this with a KO because we don’t want to leave anything to the judges. We know that there has been some cards that have not been fair to the away fighters, so we don’t want to leave it to the judges on this occasion and we want to go for the knockout. We want to put ourselves on the map and climb up the rankings. We are really motivated. Thanks to Eddy Reynoso for this opportunity to come and represent Mexico in this country.”

Johnny Fisher – Romford, England – Professional Debut – fighting Matt Gordon in a four round Heavyweight contest:

“It’s brilliant to be here. It’s a great opportunity for me. I put a lot of hard work in, and now I’ve got to put it all on the line on Saturday night. I bring a lot of supporters with me. I’ve got a great support network behind me which I’m really thankful for. When it comes to Saturday night, it’s just me and Matt Gordon in the ring. I’ve got to show him what I’m about, and I’m going to do that. I’ve got some great experience under my belt in terms of sparring. Now I’m with Mark Tibbs and Steve Andrews I’m really in a good place. I’ve got to get my experience on the job, and I really mean it. It all starts on Saturday. I’ve got to show what I’m about on my debut. Of course there’s nerves, but that’s where I thrive, under that pressure. I’ve watched Matt and he gives people good fights. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, but he’s got to realise that when I come in on Saturday night I’m going to be on the top of my game. I’ve trained like a dog since August and I’m ready to go.”

Matt Gordon – West Bromwich, England – 2-5-1 – fighting Johnny Fisher in a four round Heavyweight contest:

“I know he’s coming to do the business. I’m here to do the business as well. May the best man win on the night. Obviously I’m going to try and take any chance that’s there. I’ve done a few of these lockdown shows. I feel like I know what to expect with no crowds there and whatever else. I haven’t really heard much about Johnny Fisher to be honest. I’ve heard he’s quite aggressive and game. I’ve seen him saying that he wants to box as much as he can. If he comes and boxes that will be lovely. We’re ready for both styles to be honest. I’ve got a lot to prove myself. My record has not been the best in my last few fights against these prospects. I need to try and have a little turnaround myself. I’ve not set out to be a journeyman but my record is suggesting otherwise at the minute. I don’t come to lose.”

Jordan Gill – Chatteris, England – 25-1, 7 KOs – fighting Cesar Juarez for the vacant WBA International Featherweight Title:

“I’m absolutely buzzing. I’m just happy to be out of the house. When the call came I grabbed the opportunity with both hands to be in the ring with Cesar Juarez. He’s an established world level fighter. He’s been in with some massive names, Nonito Donaire, Angelo Leo in a World Title eliminator and Carlos Castro. All of these guys are top fighters. Isaac Dogboe as well. I’m excited to be back and I’m excited to put on a show. I feel like when you’re not fighting as often as you would like to during a pandemic, you need to take bigger steps. This is a big step. I understand that. There’s a massive threat posed to me on Saturday night. I expect to pass this test with flying colours. I’m expecting a hard fight, but I think it’s going to be an entertaining one. This will push me onto big things.”

Cesar Juarez – Mexico City, Mexico – 25-9, 19 KOs – fighting Jordan Gill for the vacant WBA International Featherweight Title:

“I am ready. I am feeling really strong. I didn’t come all of this way to lose. Every time you have Mexican fighters come here they have great values. They have lots of hunger and they come to win. If you look at my nickname, my nickname is ‘Corazon’, and that says it all really. I come for war.”

Matchroom Boxing will return to The SSE Arena, Wembley for Josh Warrington vs. Mauricio Lara on Saturday February 13 and David Avanesyan vs. Josh Kelly on Saturday February 20, with both events shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Matchroom’s first two events of 2021 kick off a stacked schedule that also features the highly anticipated Heavyweight rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte on Saturday March 6, Lawrence Okolie’s shot at the WBO Cruiserweight crown against Krzysztof Glowacki on Saturday March 20 and rising Welterweight star Conor Benn vs. Samuel Vargas on Saturday April 10.

This follows on from Matchroom’s hugely successful residency at The SSE Arena, Wembley in October, November and December last year that that saw pound-for-pound star Oleksander Usyk outpoint Derek Chisora, Undisputed Lightweight ruler Katie Taylor retain her belts against Miriam Gutierrez, Conor Benn turn in a career-best performance against Sebastian Formella, Billy Joe Saunders defend his WBO Super-Middleweight crown against Martin Murray and culminated in Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua brutally knocking out Kubrat Pulev in front of 1,000 fans. 

Matchroom’s 2021 schedule launches with a bang on February 13 as Warrington (30-0, 7 KOs) faces Mexico’s Mauricio Lara (21-2, 14 KOs) while he waits for a huge fight later in the year, Manchester Super-Featherweight contender Zelfa Barrett (24-1, 15 KOs) defends his IBF Intercontinental Title against Spain’s former Super-Bantamweight World Champion Kiko Martinez (41-9-2, 29 KOs) in the chief support bout, Nottingham’s Leigh Wood (23-2, 13 KOs) clashes with unbeaten Doncaster man Reece Mould (13-0, 6 KOs) for the vacant British Featherweight Title, fast-rising Sheffield Super-Lightweight talent Dalton Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) sees action, Leeds Featherweight Hopey Price (3-0, 1 KO) meets Zahid Hussain (16-1, 2 KOs) and Keighley Featherweight Ibrahim Nadim (2-0) steps up against Jonny Phillips (5-5, 2 KOs).

Russia’s European Welterweight Champion Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited Title defence against  Kelly (10-0-1, 6 KOs) at the top of the bill on February 20, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (13-1, 10 KOs) returns against Spain’s Jorge Fortea (21-2-1, 7 KOs), undefeated Welterweights Florian Marku (7-0-1, 5 KOs) and Rylan Charlton (6-0-1, 3 KOs) meet in what promises to be an explosive ten-round battle, Amy Timlin (4-0-1) and Carly Skelly (3-0-1) rematch for the vacant Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title after their split draw on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora undercard last October and explosive Romford Heavyweight Johnny Fisher makes his highly anticipated professional debut. 

John Drury,VP and General Manager at The SSE Arena, Wembley, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Matchroom Boxing back to The SSE Arena, Wembley for our first events of 2021. We’re looking forward to another huge residency, with ASM Global’s VenueShield protocols keeping everyone at our venue safe and comfortable in a welcoming and Covid-secure environment.”

David Avanesyan has vowed to deal with Josh Kelly “once and for all” ahead of their long-awaited showdown for the European Welterweight Title on Saturday February 20, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

The rivals were due to meet at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield back in December 2018 before an illness forced Kelly to withdraw from the contest on the day of the fight, leading to “bottle job” jibes from Avanesyan’s manager Neil Marsh as bad blood boiled over between the camps.

After ripping the European Title from Bilbao’s Kerman Lejarraga on away soil in March 2019 and making two successful defences later that year, Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14 KOs) finds himself on the cusp of another World Title shot should be hand a first defeat to former Team GB standout Kelly next month.

“The first time we were supposed to fight Kelly said ‘no fight’ three hours before the first bell,” said Avanesyan. “It was very difficult for me. You give everything to this sport, all of that hard work and losing the weight. I still don’t understand why. People say that Kelly was feeling unwell, but I saw Kelly in the evening after the weigh-in looking happy and speaking with friends. Everything was good. 

“I’ve been training for this fight for over two years. I hope everything will be okay this time. I will never disrespect any fighter, but let’s just say the events of the past couple of years have made me very angry. The fact I have to spend Christmas away from my family and young child has given me extra motivation, not that any was needed.

“Kelly is a good fighter. He was a good amateur boxer. His professional record is good so far. He’s sharp and fast. I have the experience over him. Now is my time. I need to take the big fights. I’m ready. I’m working with my team to give everything for another World Title. My style is to give everything, take my time and ensure that I get the win. 

“I want to show the fans a good fight. I’ll do my best and give everything to win. After Kelly I need another World Title fight. For now, all of my focus and energy is on my fight on February 20 and defending my European Title. I am here to deal with Kelly once and for all.”

Avanesyan vs. Kelly tops a huge night of action, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (13-1, 10 KOs) returns against Spain’s Jorge Fortea (21-2-1, 7 KOs), undefeated Welterweights Florian Marku (7-0-1, 5 KOs) and Rylan Charlton (6-0-1, 3 KOs) meet in what promises to be an explosive ten-round battle, Amy Timlin (4-0-1) and Carly Skelly (3-0-1) rematch for the vacant Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title after their split draw on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora undercard last October and explosive Romford Heavyweight Johnny Fisher makes his highly anticipated professional debut. 

David Avanesyan will finally defend his EBU European Welterweight Title against undefeated rising star Josh Kelly in a bitter grudge match on Saturday January 30 at a venue to be confirmed, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

The rivals were due to meet at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield back in December 2018 before an illness forced Kelly to withdraw from the contest on the morning of the fight, leading to “bottle job” jibes from Avanesyan’s manager Neil Marsh as bad blood boiled over between the camps.

Russia’s Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14 KOs) dealt with the disappointment by firmly establishing himself as ‘the man’ of the European Welterweight scene, ripping the 147lbs title from Bilbao’s Kerman Lejarraga on away soil in March before destroying him in the opening round of their September rematch.

The former World Champion made light work of Jose del Rio last time out in Barcelona, crushing the Spaniard in the opening round, and now finds himself on the cusp of another World Title shot should he inflict a first defeat on Kelly.

Kelly (10-0-1, 6 KOs), a Rio 2016 Olympian from Sunderland, outclassed the previously undefeated Pole Przemyslaw Runowski at The O2 in April last year before drawing with Ray Robinson two months later on his US debut in New York.

‘PBK’ decisioned Nicaragua’s Wiston Campos in his last outing in Phoenix to set up his long-awaited showdown with Avanesyan, and the North East talent is determined to silence his critics by producing a career-best win in January.

A meeting between the pair was rescheduled for March 2020 at The O2 in London only for the outbreak of the coronavirus in the UK to scupper their plans once more, but the rivals have a chance to settle their feud once and for all next month in a fight that has been brewing for over two years.

“This fight has been a long time coming and it’s finally time to silence my doubters,” said Kelly. “He is the favourite heading into the fight. He has proved how good he is in his last three fights. It’s going to be a good fight, but one I’m quietly confident about.

“I feel like this is a turning point in my career. When I win, then I take it to the next level. A lot in the future is lying on this fight. Two fights ago I fought Ray Robinson, which was a massive step-up. I don’t think people realised how big of a step-up that was, but now I’m fighting Avanesyan, I should get the credit I deserve.”

“What a way to start the year with this heavily-anticipated grudge match,” said Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn. “This is a huge step up for PBK and Ava has looked like a wrecking ball over the past few years. In 2021 we are going for gold and this is the perfect way to start the year – expect a thrilling fight!”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports’ Head of Boxing Development said: “David Avanesyan’s European Title defence against Josh Kelly is a superb start to our Sky Sports schedule for 2021.

“We’ve followed Josh Kelly’s exciting career since the very start, but now he faces a real acid test in the form of Avanesyan, a dangerous puncher, who has big ambitions of his own.

“Conor Benn will be watching his British rival closely, having called for a big domestic clash later in the year. But before that, PBK must produce a dazzling performance in a crucial European title clash.”

Following advice from the Government and the BBBoC relating to COVID-19, Matchroom Boxing have postponed all events scheduled to be taking place in March and April, including David Avanesyan vs. Josh Kelly at The O2 in London on March 28, Lewis Ritson vs. Miguel Vazquez at the Utilita Arena Newcastle on April 4 and Terri Harper vs. Natasha Jonas at the Doncaster Dome on April 24.
 
Fights scheduled to take place on the Avanesyan vs. Kelly show will be merged into future cards, with ticket refunds for March 28 available at the original point of purchase. Ritson’s clash with Vazquez has been rescheduled to Saturday June 27^th, while Harper’s all-British World Title showdown with Jonas has also been rescheduled to June, with a date to be confirmed shortly. Tickets will be valid for these rescheduled dates or refunds will be available from your point of purchase. Further events may also be subject to change.
 
The health and safety of the boxers, staff, event contractors and fans involved with our events is the top priority for Matchroom Boxing and we thank everyone for their understanding. We look forward to bringing world class boxing events back to these shores as soon as it is safe to do so.
  
Our thoughts are with everybody affected by the COVID-19 outbreak at this difficult time.

David Avanesyan will defend his EBU European Welterweight Title against undefeated rising star Josh Kelly in a bitter grudge match at The O2 in London on Saturday March 28, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

The rivals were due to meet at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield back in December 2018 before an illness forced Kelly to withdraw from the contest on the morning of the fight, leading to “bottle job” jibes from Avanesyan’s manager Neil Marsh as bad blood boiled over between the camps.

Russia’s Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14 KOs) dealt with the disappointment by firmly establishing himself as ‘the man’ of the European Welterweight scene, ripping the 147lbs title from Bilbao’s Kerman Lejarraga on away soil in March before destroying him in the opening round of their September rematch.

The former World Champion made light work of Jose del Rio last time out in Barcelona, crushing the Spaniard in the opening round, and now finds himself on the cusp of another World Title shot should he inflict a first defeat on Kelly. 

Kelly (10-0-1, 6 KOs), a Rio 2016 Olympian from Sunderland, outclassed the previously undefeated Pole Przemyslaw Runowski at The O2 in April last year before drawing with Przemyslaw Runowski two months later on his US debut in New York.

‘PBK’ decisioned Nicaragua’s Wiston Campos in his last outing in Phoenix to set up his long-awaited showdown with Avanesyan the North East talent is determined to silence his critics by producing a career-best win in April.

“It’s a good opportunity to silence the doubters,” said Kelly. “He is the favourite now. He has proved how good he is in the last three fights. It’s going to be a good fight, but one I’m quietly confident about.

“I do feel excited. I feel like this is a turning point in my career. If I win, when I win, then I take it to the next level. A lot in the future is lying on this fight.

“Two fights ago I fought Ray Robinson, which was a massive step-up. I don’t think people realised how big of a step-up that was, but now I’m fighting Avanesyan, I should get the credit I deserve.”

“I have unfinished business with Josh Kelly,” said Avanesyan. “I’m delighted the fight has finally been made and I will have a chance to inflict a first defeat on his professional career.

“As the British fans know, I will fight anyone anywhere and I determined to put a big show on for them in every fight as they treat me so well and I love them.

“After I deal with Kelly I want Eddie to deliver me a World Title shot so I can become a two-time World Champion and secure my family’s future.”

“This is just a brilliant fight – absolute sink or swim time,” said Eddie Hearn. “Avanesyan is a world class Welterweight who sits in the top 10 with every governing body but for every great Olympic prospect comes judgement day and this is it for Josh Kelly. The fight that could turn him into a real star and a legitimate World Title contender. It’s the ultimate stage, the ultimate test – don’t miss it.” 

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “Josh Kelly is one of the hottest talents in British boxing – and now he gets the perfect platform to showcase his dazzling skills against David Avanesyan.

“We’ve followed Josh’s career since he’s turned professional, but this is a real acid test against the dangerous European Champion.

“Josh is part of a red-hot Welterweight division, brimming with big names, and we cannot wait to see PBK light up The O2 on March 28.”

Daniel Jacobs was awarded a stoppage after round five of his scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. quit in the corner, citing a broken nose in front of over 10,000 fans at The Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

The fight actually started off well for the much (and deserved) maligned Chavez as he came out aggressive and working the body of Jacobs. That lasted about a round and a half as Chavez basically stopped punching due to Jacobs starting to get his offense going. Jacobs featured his own body attack and would flick in the right hand. He started getting through with some power shots in the 5th, with one such right hand hitting the nose of Chavez. Chavez started to bleed from his nostrils when he abruptly quit and the fight was called.

Jacobs of Brooklyn, NY is now 36-3 with 30 knockouts. Chavez, who checked in nearly 5 pounds over the 168 pound weight limit is now 51-4-1.

Julio Cesar Martinez stopped Cristofer Martinez in round nine to win the WBC Flyweight title.

It was a high contact fight that had both guys bleeding. After being buckled in the 2nd round, Martinez dominated the fight as he would coming with hard and thudding combinations, mixing it up between the head and body of Rosales. Martinez buckled and rocked Rosales

As Martinez seized control of the fight, Rosales was absorbing a lot of punishment, and the bout was finally stopped at 1:19 of round nine after Martinez landed several unanswered flush blows on the ropes.

Martinez of Mexico is now 15-1 with 12 knockouts. Rosales of Nicaragua is 29-5.

Former Junior Welterweight Maurice Hooker dismantled Uriel Perez in the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

Hooker landed a powerful flurry of punches that sent Perez down in the corner. Perez got to his feet, but was in no condition to continue and the bout was stopped at 2:52.

Hooker, 144.3 lbs of Dallas is 27-1-3 with 18 knockouts. Perez, 141.9 lbs of Mexico is 19-5.

Former world champion Liam Smith won a 10-round unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a middleweight bout.

Smith dominated the action and focused on hard body shots that led him to the victory by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92.

Smith, 159.9 lbs of Liverpool., UK is 29-2-1. Garcia, 155.5 lbs of Weslaco, TX is 42-5.

2016 British Olympian, Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Wiston Campos in a welterweight fight.

In round one, Kelly was cut over his right eye from a punch.

In round ten, Kelly sealed the fight with a right hand that sent Campos to the deck.

Kelly, 150.4 lbs of Sunderland, UK won by scores of 99-90 twice and 98-91 and is now 10-0-1. Campos, 148.4 lbs of Nicaragua is 31-7-6.

Reshat Mati dropped Rakim Johnson four-times in the 1st en route to a stoppage in the opening frame of their six-round welterweight bout.

Mati of New York is 6-0 with four knockouts. Johnson of Indianapolis id 6-9-1.

Raymond Ford stopped Francisco Muro in round one of their scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

Ford dropped Muro with a hard three punch combination that capped by a straight left. Muro was hurt and Ford jumped all over Muro, and the bout was stopped at 1:41.

Ford of Camden, NJ is 5-0 with two knockouts. Muro of Tucson, AZ is 3-7.

Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

NEW YORK (June 3, 2019) –Despite dictating the pace of the fight, welterweight contender Ray Robinson had to settle for a for a majority draw in his 10-round WBA International title bout with Josh Kelly in a fight that took place this past Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Split-T Management’s prized middleweight prospect, Diego Pacheco stopped Jared Chauvin in the 1st round.

Robinson pressured Kelly throughout most of the contest, and had Kelly in the corner or against the ropes as he came forward behind combinations.  Kelly was resigned to throwing mostly one-shot at a time, and Robinson looked like he was building a comfortable lead on the scorecards.  In round seven, Kelly was cut over his left eye.  In round ten, Kelly was cut around the right  eye. Kelly needed to sweep the final round just to have the scores read 96-94 for Kelly and 95-95 twice,

This is the 2nd consecutive draw for Robinson, who drew with WBO number-one ranked Egidijus Kavaliauskas on March 30th.  Robinson who has shown no-fear in fighting anyone in the welterweight division, as he took on Kelly, who was a 2016 Olympian and came in with a perfect record of 9-0 and was ranked number-nine by the WBA.

With the draw, Robinson, who himself is ranked number-13 by the WBC is 24-3-2.

“He’s the champ, and they said that you have to outwork the champ, and I feel that’s what I did.  He did a lot of moving his body and head.  I stalked him.  The brought a pup to a dogfight, and I did what I was supposed to do to get the “W”.  I thought I pulled it out.  I am in the sport to take chances.  I fight on other promoter’s cards.  If they think they are the best, I want them to prove it to me,” said Robinson.

Pacheco, of Los Angeles, was the number-one ranked amateur in the United States and Mexico, dropped Chauvin with a hard right hand to gain his 2nd consecutive opening round round, and subsequently raised his perfect mark to 4-0 with three knockouts.
WATCH PACHECO’S 1ST ROUND KO

Josh Kelly will make his US debut against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s Heavyweight World title clash with Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

Sunderland star Kelly (9-0, 6 KOs) outclassed the previously undefeated Pole Przemyslaw Runowski on his big ring return at The O2 in London last month, flooring the gutsy challenger three times to defend his WBA International title with a classy unanimous verdict after winning all ten rounds.

Kelly was due to face former World Champion David Avanesyan on the undercard of Kell Brook vs. Michael Zerafa in Sheffield, but an illness scuppered a December dust-up between the pair. A showdown with the now European Champion is at the top of Kelly’s wish list should he come through his test against Robinson.

Robinson (24-3-1, 12 KOs) has lost only three times in his 28-fight career, one of those losses coming to current WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter in 2010, and the 33-year-old southpaw earned an impressive draw in his last outing in March against the undefeated and World rated Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

“To be boxing at the Mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden is pretty serious isn’t it,” said Kelly. “I’ve never been there before so I’m going to enjoy the experience and put a performance on. To be fighting at a venue like that so early on in my career is another box ticked on my journey.

“Things change and titles switch hands but the majority of World titles are held in the US at the moment so I could end up boxing there a lot more in the future. I just take things fight by fight and I never overlook anyone because I’d be doing myself and my opponent an injustice.

“Robinson is a very good opponent. He’s a good boxer with an awkward southpaw style so it’s another good test for me. It’s going to be a great fight and a night to enjoy. I get a lot of support from people in the US so it’s nice to have an opportunity to put on a performance in front of them.

“What happened with the Avanesyan fight was unfortunate but it’s a fight that’s still 100% on my radar. Adam has got a plan for it and I’ll just go with what he says. It’s definitely more than likely going to take place. June 1 is going to be the start of something big.”

“This is a great fight and a huge step-up for Josh on the biggest stage possible,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Robinson clearly won last time out and is an accomplished fighter that will test him in every department. This is the stage for him to shine, in front of a sold out MSG broadcast all over the World – June 1 we will really find out what PBK is all about.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “Josh Kelly is one of the hottest talents in Britain – and Madison Square Garden is a perfect venue for him to showcase his skills.

“We’ve covered Kelly’s exciting career from the very start. ‘PBK’ can now show American fans why he’s a name to watch in that red-hot Welterweight division.

“It will be a bumper evening of boxing as Katie Taylor bids to become the undisputed World Lightweight champion, and then AJ can mark his US debut with a bang against Andy Ruiz Jr!”

Kelly and Robinson clash on a huge night of action at Madison Square Garden where Joshua’s World title defense against Ruiz is supported by Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship and Chris Algieri and Tommy Coyle meeting in a crossroads Lightweight fight – with more undercard fights to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

Dave Allen stopped former world champion Lucas Browne with one left to the body in their scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout at The 02 Arena in London.

Allen landed a crushing shot that sent Browne to the canvas for the 10 count at 58 seconds of round three.

Allen is 17-4-2 with 14 knockouts.  Browne of Australia is 28-2.

After earning the biggest win of his career to date, ‘White Rhino’ said: “I want more now, I’m greedy. I proved I can punch at the highest level. He’s not what he once was but it’s a very good win. A very good win. This tops the Nick Webb night. The left hook to the body was beautiful.”

Dereck Chisora won a 10-round unanimous decision over Senad Gashi in a heavyweight bout.

Chisora landed some power punches throughout, where Gashi did little more then circle to his left.

Chisora won by scores of 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91 and is now 30-9. Gashi of Kosovo is 17-3.

Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Przemyslaw Runowski in a welterweight contest

In round 10, Kelly decked Runowski with a perfect left.

Kelly won by scores of 100-8 twice and 100-89 and is now 9-0. Runowksi is 17-1.

Joe Cordina remained undefeated by taking out Andy Townend in round six of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.

Cordina dropped Townend in round six with a flurry of power shots. Moments later, he sent Townend to a knee with an uppercut on the inside. Cordina finished the deal with a hard right and left that sent Townend to a knee again, and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:51.

Cordina of Cardiff, Wales is now 9-0 with seven knockouts. Townend is 22-5.

Conor Benn remained undefeated with a eight-round decision win over Josef Zahradnik in a welterweight bout.

Benn registered a knockdown in round seven with a body shot and won by a referee score of 80-71.

Benn is 14-0. Zahradnik is 10-3.

Josh Kelly says fighting at the Stadium of Light, home to Sunderland A.F.C, would be a dream come true as he prepares to make his ring return against unbeaten Pole Przemyslaw Runowski at The O2 in London on April 20, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The North East sensation has fought in Newcastle twice since joining the professional ranks in 2016, blitzing Tom Whitfield in a round at the Walker Activity Dome and halting Kris George in seven at the Metro Radio Arena, but the ex-Sunderland Academy man wants nothing more than a Wearside homecoming.

“Fighting at the Stadium of Light would be out of this World,” said Kelly. “The Sunderland lads have always backed me throughout my career and I’d love to have an opportunity to repay their loyal support. They haven’t had much to shout about in recent times, so I’d love to put a smile back on their faces!

“Hopefully we can do something up there in the future. A World title fight in my home city would obviously be the dream and it’s something I’m striving for every day. When I was at the Sunderland Academy I always thought I’d play at the stadium one day, but to fight there for a World title would be even better.”

Despite being moved quickly by promoter Eddie Hearn and manager Adam Booth, ‘Pretty Boy’ knows there is a long way to go before serious World title talk, and the former Team GB star is fully-focused on the job at hand later this month.

“I’ve done my research on Runowski and he’s a solid opponent to test myself against, he’s unbeaten for a reason. They breed them tough in Eastern Europe, he looks very confident in himself. He’s strong and fit and he’s done a few ten rounders. I don’t expect him to come over here just to laydown.

“He’s going to keep on me while the fight lasts so I’ll have to keep my concentration and not switch off. I’m looking to dismantle him in style and put on a show to remind everyone what I’m about. This year is going to be massive if everything goes to plan. I’ve got to keep my feet firmly on the ground, continue to work and get the results.”

Kelly vs. Runowski is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

At the top of the bill, Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs) and Derek Chisora (29-9, 21 KOs) clashes with Senad Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) in his first fight under new trainer Dave Coldwell.

Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring following a hand injury that has kept him out of action since his first title win over Cedrick Peynaud in July, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fighting for the second time after winning on her pro debut at the Copper Box Arena last month.

Dave Allen faces the biggest night of his career when he takes on former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne on a huge evening of Heavyweight action at The O2 in London on April 20, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, that sees Finchley bad boy Derek Chisora return to the ring against Senad Gashi after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December.

‘White Rhino’ is in the form of his life after notching successive stoppage wins over Nick Webb, Samir Nebo and Ariel Esteban Bracamonte in the second half of 2018. The Doncaster fans’ favourite rich vein of form began with a “life-changing” fourth round knockout win against Webb at The O2 in July and he hopes to make it three KO’s from three fights at the Greenwich venue next month.

Browne returns to the scene of his sole career loss to Dillian Whyte determined to redeem himself with a big knockout win over cult hero Allen. Since that loss the 28-1 Australian, who’s career-best win came against Ruslan Chagaev in 2016, has bounced back with three wins and he believes another victory on April 20 will fire his name back into the World mix.

“I have never trained so hard in my life,” said Allen. “I’m going to knock Browne spark out, I hit too hard for him. Even though there’s no animosity in the build-up, I want to punch him all over The O2 in to row Z.

“Lucas Browne isn’t the Lucas Browne who beat Chagaev, he’s a faded force. That being said he’s still very dangerous, he does have that power, but this fight is perfect for me. He’s a former World Heavyweight Champion. A win here puts me on the big stage, not the highest level, but within touching distance of a fight that would then put me there.

“To be at the top of the bill at The O2 means loads, the support is something special. I’m unbeaten at The O2 with two huge knockouts and I’m very confident in making it a treble.”

“I’m eager to redeem myself at The O2 and will be coming for a knockout,” said Browne. “I’m a fan of Dave, I have nothing bad to say about him and I’m looking forward to a good old-fashioned brawl on April 20. This is the fight for me to showcase who and what I am to the masses. It’s a blockbuster fight and I know Dave is a big crowd favourite but that will drive me on to silence the fans.

“I’m at the stage in my career where I need to be 100% serious, I’m getting too old to play around. The loss to Whyte was the kick in the butt that I needed and since then I’ve changed my promoter, team, training and general approach to boxing.”

Former World title challenger Chisora came sensationally close to beating Whyte in December. Going into the eleventh round of an exhilarating and brutal fight, Chisora was ahead on two of the judges’ scorecards only to be caught by a devastating left hook.

Having recently teamed up with highly-respected trainer Dave Coldwell, Chisora is feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready to take on any challenges in 2019.

“Six weeks ‘til I go back to WAR and boy I can’t wait!” said Chisora. “On Saturday 20th April I will be stepping into the ring at The O2 with fire in my soul, I have a point to prove and mission to continue!

“Parker b*tched out, he must have taken too many laxatives and sh*t himself. He wasn’t ready for the battle, he reckons he needed more time. Gashi has shown he is a true fighter, he is always ready to go to war when called. He showed this in December when he stepped in the ring with Takam on just one week’s notice and gave him a real fight. I’m not stupid, I know with six weeks’ notice in April Gashi will be a different animal.

“He is a wild horse, a loose cannon, he is coming to win but trust me, he won’t hear the final bell. I’m ready, we’ve stepped things up a gear working hard with Dave Coldwell. April 20th WAR Chisora will be back in London to show the Heavyweight division exactly why retirement wasn’t an option.”

Some of the best up-and-coming talent Britain has to offer get the chance to showcase their skills to the masses once again as Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski.

Cardiff’s ‘Welsh Wizard’ Joe Cordina picked up the Commonwealth Lightweight crown in his last outing against Sean Dodd and he steps up again on April 20 to take on Barnsley ‘KO Kid’ Andy Townend for the vacant Lord Lonsdale belt.

Ilford Welterweight Conor Benn makes his long-awaited return to the ring following a hand injury that kept him out of action since his first title win over Cedrick Peynaud in July, and ‘The Destroyer’ in promising another explosive performance as he looks to pick up where he left off.

“Runowski’s a solid opponent, unbeaten for a reason,” said Kelly. “They breed them tough in Eastern Europe but I’m ready to dismantle him and put on a show for everyone in the crowd and watching at home. It excites me every time I step through the ropes. This year is going to be massive if everything goes to plan. I’ve got to keep my feet firmly on the ground, continue to work and get the results.”

“I’m excited to be back at The O2 for this big Heavyweight double-header,” said Eddie Hearn. “Dave Allen has become a cult hero over the last year but this time he is in deep against former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne. Browne, who lost to Dillian Whyte at the same venue just under a year ago, has bounced back with three wins since and is looking for a shot at one of the big boys. For Dave, this is a dream chance to catapult himself into the big time in a vibrant Heavyweight market.

“Chisora returns after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December against the tough Senad Gashi. Gashi went to war with Takam in December on less than a week’s notice and this time he will be fully prepared in what I believe will be a very tough fight. One of the world’s biggest young talents Josh Kelly defends his WBA title against unbeaten Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and fellow Olympian Joe Cordina will challenge Andy Townend for the vacant British Lightweight title. Unbeaten 147lb star Conor Benn also returns to action following a hand injury as he hunts major domestic titles in 2019.”

David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions said: “On Saturday 20th April Hayemaker Promotions are excited to be back at The O2, the home of British Boxing. Once again working in partnership with Matchroom Boxing, we are looking forward to bringing fight fans an electric night of boxing with showreel knockout endings!

“Derek ‘WAR’ Chisora will be back, on a mission to show the fans exactly what he has in his armoury under new Head Trainer Dave Coldwell. Former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne is set to go toe-to-toe with Dave ‘White Rhino’ Allen and future World Welterweight Champion Josh Kelly is also ready to set the ring alight.”

Josh Kelly says he is on a collision course with former amateur rival and Olympic Gold medallist Daniyar Yeleussinov.

‘Pretty Boy’ faces the toughest test of his eight-fight professional career on December 8 at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield when he defends his WBA International Welterweight crown against former World Champion David Avanesyan, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The North East sensation has made a blistering start to life in the paid ranks, landing his first professional title in just his sixth fight against former World ruler Carlos Molina before stopping Kris George in his next fight to earn the Commonwealth strap in Newcastle.

And now the Adam Booth-protege has set his sights on the World title picture in 2019.

One of the greatest amateurs of modern times, Yeleussinov defeated Kelly on the way to Olympic glory at the 2016 Rio Games, but ‘PBK’ feels he has made a smoother transition to the pro game and would be keen for a rematch with the Kazakh star when the time is right.

“I’m down for the rematch with Daniyar Yeleussinov,” said Kelly. “He beat me in the Olympics but as a professional I’ve made the transition much better than he has. When’s the right time to meet? When does it make sense? Those questions are to play out but we’re definitely on a collision course. I’ll enjoy that one in particular, there’s unfinished business.

“My full attention is on Avanesyan and I’m glad to be boxing in Sheffield for the first time as a pro. I’m obviously familiar with the area from the Team GB days so it’s nice to be coming back.

“Adam is moving me quickly, it’s been a short turn around since the last fight in Manchester. Avanesyan is an ex World Champion. He’s boxed Mosley and Peterson who are at the top level. I’ve done my due diligence and we think this is the right step. I’m ready to make that leap and I’m hoping he can test me.

“The Welterweight division is stacked from top to bottom and that excites me and helps me to switch on to remain there for the coming years.

“I’ve won two belts but this is only the start. It’s down to Adam and Eddie about what moves we make. Getting to World level you need to make these little steps, my goal is to lift a World title. People seem to forget I’ve only had eight fights as a professional. If I skip or fight for a British Title early then so be it. I’m just developing day in, day out.”

Kelly’s clash with Avanesyan is part of huge night of boxing in the Steel City.

Main event sees ‘The Special One’ Kell Brook take on Australia’s former Commonwealth Super-Welterweight Champion Michael Zerafa.

Unbeaten Irish star Jono Carroll faces French former European Champion Guillaume Frenois in a final eliminator to become mandatory challenger to IBF Super-Featherweight World Champion Tevin Farmer.

Explosive Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler is in title action as he targets a showdown with newly-crowned British Champion Ted Cheeseman in 2019 and IBF no.1 Featherweight contender Kid Galahad stays busy with an eye on the winner of Josh Warrington vs. Carl Frampton.

Sheffield is well represented on the undercard with Welterweight Anthony Tomlinson, Super-Middleweight Callum Hancock and Middleweight Shakiel Thompson all in action, while Leeds Super-Bantamweight Qais Ashfaq and Denaby Lightweight Terri Harper also feature.

Tickets for Brook vs. Zerafa priced at £40, £60, £100 and £200 (Inner Ring VIP) are available to purchase via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) FlyDSA Arena (www.flydsaarena.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)