Josh Kelly

Professional Career

Kelly kicked off his professional journey on April 15, 2017, with a points victory over Jay Byrne at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, showcasing his potential from the outset. Kelly’s early career was marked by a string of victories that demonstrated both his power and technical skill. Notable among these was his fight on June 23, 2017, where he delivered a stunning first-round knockout against Tom Whitfield at the Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle. This victory was a clear indication of his knockout power and set the stage for further successes. By March 2018, Kelly had claimed the vacant WBA International welterweight title, defeating Carlos Molina by unanimous decision at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a significant step up in competition and a display of his capability to compete at higher levels.

Kelly continued to build on his momentum, successfully defending his WBA International welterweight title and winning the Commonwealth welterweight title against Kris George on June 16, 2018, a fight that George retired from in the seventh round. However, Kelly’s career faced a pivotal moment on February 20, 2021, when he contended for the European welterweight title against David Avanesyan but was stopped in the sixth round. This bout was a crucial learning experience, testing his resilience and adaptability in the ring.

Following this setback, Kelly made a notable comeback, moving up in weight and capturing the vacant WBO International super welterweight title against Lucas Bastida on July 30, 2022. He then continued to show his dominance by winning the British light-middleweight title from Troy Williamson on December 2, 2022, further proving his ability to bounce back and excel in higher weight classes. Most recently, on December 16, 2023, Kelly achieved a significant victory by knocking out Placido Ramirez in the third round, retaining his EBU European light-middleweight title.