I hate to overhype prospects, but I think Josh Kelly could be the best Brittish boxer there's been for a while

[coneye]

interesting to look at this now

not taking a pop at the op, because i could totally get what they were getting at when they talking about kelly in the early stages. the question was could kelly carry it up the levels and straigten out the showboaty stuff. turns out he couldnt and was indeed a bit superficial in the end---keeping in mind of course that he's still a totally decent boxer who made the olympics.

its a good thing to keep in mind:


there are some fighters who just have the style/strengths that make them shine especially bright when they are fighting overmatched opponents at one level. but other guys who may not be as superficially fancy and may not impresse as much at one level miht be able to carry their game up higher in the end.

Good thread to go back too , plenty here called it right ,

[Enlightened-One]

I’ve been labouring over Kelly’s stylistic and psychological flaws for quite some time now, with my posts being particularly detailed and lengthy in nature.

I take no joy about him losing and me being proven right.

I only hope he finally learns to address his arrogance, by appreciating and addressing his flaws. And actually recognising the fact that upsets happen in boxing, which means respecting his opponents and also taking them seriously, to the point he prepares accordingly.

[vidal]

I thought he was going all the way

[smiling assassin]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on). That loss wasn’t career ending far from it, he can definitely come again. He might not go as far as some might of thought but he can still have a very good career in the game if matchroom don’t hang him out to dry.

[margaret thatcher]

ya shouldnt be written totally off and im sure can still deliver at british level and vs a weaker euro champ maybe, but notice how many people had already been picking at the particular issues that came up in this fight and vs robinson, and yet they didnt appear to be addressed at all, at least judging by his performances

[margaret thatcher]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on). That loss wasn’t career ending far from it, he can definitely come again. He might not go as far as some might of thought but he can still have a very good career in the game if matchroom don’t hang him out to dry.

13 fights, true, but he's also 27 and only got 1 win in his last 3 (it's not like it was 1 off struggle), and he's shown no progress on addressing the flaws so many had pointed out

but for sure a lot of guys had rough results earlier on but then improved. let's see what he can do from here and if he stays at 147. my hunch is that the issues he's shown vs rob and dave are ones that are gonna keep appering at those levels

[Twinkle Toes]

Has he really progressed under Booth? - I don't see it, and the prep for his latest fight looked like it was massively flawed.

[margaret thatcher]

Has he really progressed under Booth? - I don't see it, and the prep for his latest fight looked like it was massively flawed.

that's the thing..........the issues many posters were pointing out 3 years ago ..........all still there


a loss can be a wake up call , but then again so can a draw for a guy who won all his previous fights, yet kelly didnt seem to change it up

[margaret thatcher]

and one thing that stood out to me:

at some point late in the 2nd or early in the third, when kelly was doing well and at the peak of his success, is when he started to prance around and showboat ---it was like doing well actually brought out the worst in him! and then it went downhill........i dont think he was actually too tired or whatever at that point, it was the attitude, like he just couldnt resist going into white chocolate roy joness junior admirer mode

[BigDoofus]

He has the most impressive traps on a British boxer there's been for a while. Since David Haye in fact.
How do the Booth fighters build such impressive shoulder boulders?

[Counter-puncher]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on).

Now we’ve seen it? Nerds on here have been listing his flaws for years

[coneye]

He has the most impressive traps on a British boxer there's been for a while. Since David Haye in fact.
How do the Booth fighters build such impressive shoulder boulders?

By forsaking boxing training to spend the time getting too big for there weight

[smiling assassin]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on).

Now we’ve seen it? Nerds on here have been listing his flaws for years

I’m not saying they haven’t mate but they were a lot more prominent last night due to the level of opposition.

[Counter-puncher]

I think anyone who puts pressure on him will get the same results if they’re at a certain level.

[smiling assassin]

I think anyone who puts pressure on him will get the same results if they’re at a certain level.

After last night how do you see him and Benn going. I know it dont look likely to happen now Kelly got beat but how do you think the fight would go. Personally I think Kelly poggers him

[Counter-puncher]

I think anyone who puts pressure on him will get the same results if they’re at a certain level.

After last night how do you see him and Benn going. I know it dont look likely to happen now Kelly got beat but how do you think the fight would go. Personally I think Kelly poggers him

I’ve not watched Benn enough to say, his career passed me by as I assumed he was just a name.

[Tuan_Jim]

Hope the OP has learned not to get ahead of himself in future. I'm not convinced by anyone anymore until I've seen how they come through a crisis at world level. This includes reigning champions, since world titles and weak challengers are widely available.

Kelly spent too much time studying his idol's singular style. His Roy Jones tribute act seems to favour the Tarver, Johnson years.

[dookus]

He does not have the stamina to fight like that over 12. He was knackered and had no way of maintaining his preferred range by the end of round 4. A serious rethink is required.

[forcefraser]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on). That loss wasn’t career ending far from it, he can definitely come again. He might not go as far as some might of thought but he can still have a very good career in the game if matchroom don’t hang him out to dry.

The.Robinson fight was a gift draw. He lost that fight.

He hasn't beaten anyone. Guy has talent but isn't going to the top. n my opinion.

Avaneysan is solid, but he isn't elite and he just beat Kelly up with relative ease.

If he steps up to light middle. Imagine what the top guys up there would do to him.

Booth was bigging him up as he has nobody else left. Conman Booth

[a force]

The worrying thing was how quickly he lost his shape & seemed to panic.

If you succumb to the pressure in the late rounds & get stopped in the championship rounds then yes it’s disappointing but a lot more understandable.

I doubt even Avanesyan thought he would break Kelly down & stop him in the first half of the fight.

[KiwiRider]

Boys He’s had 13 fights and got beat by a very good fighter. He’s got all the talent in the world and now we’ve seen he’s also got some big flaws as well(they can be worked on). That loss wasn’t career ending far from it, he can definitely come again. He might not go as far as some might of thought but he can still have a very good career in the game if matchroom don’t hang him out to dry.

The.Robinson fight was a gift draw. He lost that fight.

He hasn't beaten anyone. Guy has talent but isn't going to the top. n my opinion.

Avaneysan is solid, but he isn't elite and he just beat Kelly up with relative ease.

If he steps up to light middle. Imagine what the top guys up there would do to him.

Booth was bigging him up as he has nobody else left. Conman Booth

Oh, stepping up would be a huge mistake.
Reset, change of trainers and some strength and conditioning work.
I was disappointed at how fleeting his stamina was last night.
The guy has skills, no question.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I know he's won a WBA regional belt,
Potential ranking now with the WBA.. but I do hope he goes down the British/Comm route. He's had less than 10 fights. Why not.. this is what a lot of new boxers are missing.. experience will be key.

I hit the nail on the head here..

[Counter-puncher]

The worrying thing was how quickly he lost his shape & seemed to panic.

although it’s not implausible, being generous, that the panic was that of a drained fighter who knows he hasn’t got the gas in him. Like I say, being generous.

[Coco]

The worrying thing was how quickly he lost his shape & seemed to panic.

although it’s not implausible, being generous, that the panic was that of a drained fighter who knows he hasn’t got the gas in him. Like I say, being generous.

The only thing that is possible that Kelly was dead at the weight.

It that's not the case the future looks bleak for him.

[danconnollyeire]

Tony Jeffries was right. Mayweather, Hatton, Froch, Calzaghe weren’t fighting guys this good after 11, 12 fights. They were acting like he’s on the prospect of a world title shot when really, he needs some pro experience