Josh Kelly speaks to Sunderland Echo sports writer James Copley ahead of the Sunderland-born boxer's fight with Roarke Knapp at the Beacon of Light on December 16, 2023
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00:00 boxing's littered with sort of underdog stories
00:03 where they're not really fancied,
00:04 but it's his chance to change his life really, isn't it?
00:07 - That's a good point, yeah,
00:10 but for me, it's another night of boxing.
00:13 For him, it can be the biggest night of his life
00:15 or this and that and the other.
00:17 And for me, it's another night where I put me,
00:20 lace my boots on and put my gloves on,
00:22 lace my boots on and put my gloves on.
00:24 And I believe, like you said, the pressure is on him.
00:30 All the pressure is on him.
00:31 I take this all in stride and I just do it.
00:34 I just do it as it, it's me job.
00:36 And I know how to get on with it.
00:37 And I've done it a million times.
00:38 I'll do it a million times after this.
00:40 And I believe he's a good fighter.
00:44 And I think after this fight,
00:46 he'll then learn a lot from this,
00:50 learn a lot from the loss.
00:52 And I think he'll go on to do decent things in the sport.
00:56 I think people will hear about him,
00:57 but I think he's got to,
00:59 he hasn't got enough at the moment for me.
01:02 - And obviously you touched on it slightly before.
01:04 I know you won't want to look too far ahead
01:08 and sort of guard against that complacency,
01:09 but Stadium of Light Fight World title shot,
01:12 those are still very much your aspirations.
01:14 What's the timeframe on that, do you reckon now?
01:16 Because you're ranked very highly
01:18 with the governing body and it's not that far away really.
01:22 Now it feels like it's really close,
01:24 really like in your grasp.
01:26 - I mean, it's two conditions.
01:27 I mean, I'm WBO number one, so I'm there.
01:31 I'm sort of in a minority position for that.
01:34 WBC, it'd be funny where I'm ranked after this.
01:38 IBF, I'm in the rankings.
01:40 I'm not sure how well I'm marked with the WBA,
01:42 but it's sort of everywhere I'm ranked.
01:44 So I can get a big fight in the drop of five
01:47 for a world title,
01:49 which I'd love to become the first world champion
01:51 if I'm certain.
01:52 And I believe I will.
01:54 But I think a big domestic fight
01:58 could also sell that stadium on.
02:00 Maybe a U-Bahn, a Ben or someone like that,
02:03 depending on how they get on in their fights.
02:05 So we'll soon see.
02:08 I've got this job of doing the six things for me
02:10 for which is like serious totally on that.
02:12 - Oh no, absolutely.
02:14 I think the last time I spoke to you, Josh,
02:16 I don't know if you remember,
02:17 but we're at the Stadium of Light.
02:19 I think it was before the Troy fight actually.
02:22 And you met up with Dan Neal and did some stuff with him.
02:25 So he captained Sunderland at the weekend,
02:30 obviously a local lad like yourself,
02:32 you know, making waves in sport.
02:35 And it's great to see, it's great for the city.
02:37 But what did you make of him as a young man
02:39 when you met him?
02:40 'Cause you seemed to get on quite well.
02:42 And from my conversations with him,
02:44 he's really impressive.
02:46 - Mate, he's a good lad.
02:47 He's a good lad.
02:48 And I feel like he's only just starting to really mature.
02:50 Like now, as a man and a player, do you know what I mean?
02:53 Like, I think he's a little bit younger than me,
02:56 but he's-
02:57 - I think he's about 23, 22, 23, something like that.
03:00 - Yeah.
03:01 And he's got, I could see he's gonna be a,
03:06 he's gonna be like,
03:08 he's gonna fill out and become a proper mature man.
03:12 I feel as though he's starting to play more like that now
03:15 and starting to come into himself more.
03:18 - I mean, he's, he's, he's sort of,
03:21 he's from Sunderland, a young kid.
03:24 I mean, you've got people like that on the team
03:25 that can become the heart and the soul of the team,
03:28 you know what I mean?
03:29 The love where they come from,
03:30 the play for the city where they're born.
03:33 So I really rate him up.
03:35 I really rate him up.
03:36 He's got a long career and hopefully I can stay in at Sunderland.
03:40 - Absolutely.
03:40 You're hoping that a couple of the Sunderland players
03:42 might attend the fight?
03:44 - Yeah, mate, I'm up for that.
03:46 I'm up for that.
03:47 I mean, it depends if they've got,
03:49 I mean, they're way up Bristol, aren't they?
03:51 I think they're way up Bristol.
03:51 - Oh no, of course, no, you're correct,
03:53 you're right about that.
03:54 - So, I would have, I would have,
03:58 I would have been all over that,
04:00 but they get a win there and I get a win here,
04:03 so don't worry.
04:04 - No, that would be good.
04:05 And what have you made of Sunderland generally
04:07 as a football team?
04:08 Obviously having a decent season so far
04:11 under Tony Mowbray, getting some good results,
04:12 play some good football as well?
04:15 - We have, mate.
04:16 We've been through a little bit of a patch,
04:17 like of not winning a few games,
04:19 we've got a good few games to go,
04:21 but we've sort of come through that now.
04:23 I put three-one win the other day there
04:24 and I think we'll get a win,
04:27 we'll definitely get a win away at Bristol
04:29 when I'm fighting.
04:30 So, I mean,
04:33 I feel as though if we do well this season,
04:37 push on, we can easily do,
04:40 we'll easily be in the playoffs again.
04:41 I would just like a secure position
04:43 without the playoffs,
04:44 because it's the story of our career,
04:46 isn't it, the playoffs?
04:47 So, I want to sort of get away from that
04:51 and just sort of secure without that
04:53 and get back on the premiereship,
04:55 sort of take on the teams
04:56 I think we deserve to be playing in
04:58 with the stadium support we've got.
05:00 We deserve to be there,
05:01 get back to the proper derbies
05:03 with Newcastle and everything.
05:05 So, we've missed it.
05:08 - I mean, just sort of, just spitballing here,
05:11 but it would be nice to have a Josh Kelly
05:15 world title fight the weekend
05:17 before Sunderland playing the Premier League
05:19 for the first time in 10 years
05:21 or playing Newcastle or something like that,
05:22 some big game, it would be amazing, wouldn't it?
05:25 - Don't, mate, you've got to speak it.
05:27 So, I believe it'll happen,
05:29 but it's only a matter of time.
05:31 We'll see you next year.
05:32 That'd be unbelievable.
05:33 - That would be class.
05:34 Josh, thank you very much for speaking to us, mate.
05:36 And good luck.
05:36 I'll hopefully see you on fight night.
05:38 - Cheers. Thank you, James.
05:40 - Take care, mate.
05:40 - See you later.
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