Troy Williamson vs Josh Kelly Preview December 2nd, 2022
Unbeaten Troy Williamson will be putting his British Super Welterweight Title on the line this Friday, December 2nd when he takes on Josh Kelly. The 12-rounder from Newcastle Arena can be seen live in the UK on Channel 5. Kelly last fought in July when he beat Lucas Bastida by a 10-round unanimous decision to win the vacant WBO International Super Welterweight Title. Williamson last saw action in September when he stopped David Benitez in the sixth round. He originally won the British Belt in October, 2021 when he stopped Ted Cheeseman in the 10th round and has defended it once against Mason Cartwright by unanimous decision.
Williamson vs Kelly Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Troy Williamson -120
- Josh Kelly -110
My Pick
The 28-year-old Kelly of Sunderland, England carries around a mark of 12-1-1 and has 87 rounds under his belt since making his pro debut in 2017. He stands 5-feet-10-inches tall with a 72-inch reach and possesses average power with a current knockout ratio of 50 per cent. Kelly’s lone defeat on his pro record was a sixth-round stoppage at the hands of David Avenesyan in February, 2021 in a shot at the European Welterweight Title. Kelly’s draw was a 10-round majority affair with Ray Robinson in June, 2019.
Kelly won the vacant WBA International Welterweight Title in 2018 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Molina and defended it against Kris George, Przemyslaw Runowski and Robinson. He stopped George after seven rounds when George suffered a broken jaw and broken hands. That bout was also for the Commonwealth Welterweight Belt. Kelly has also beaten Jose Luis Zuniga and Walter Castillo.
Kelly enjoyed a fine amateur career as he won a bronze medal at the 2012 AIBA Youth World Championships, won gold at the 2014 Heidelberg Round Robin Tournament, took bronze at the 2014 Golden Belt Tournament, the 2015 Bocskai Memorial Tournament and the 2015 European Games. He was also a quarter-finalist at the 2015 AIBA World Championships and participated at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he went 1-1.
The 31-year-old Williamson hails from Darlington, England and makes his ring walk with a mark of 19-0-1 with 14 Ko’s. He’s boxed 110 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016 following an amateur career which saw him participate in the World Series of Boxing and the English National Championships and win the 2015 ABA Championship as a middleweight. Williamson measures 5-feet-11-inches tall with an unlisted reach which gives him an inch edge in height over Kelly.
As far as power goes, Williamson has plenty of it with a current knockout ratio of 70 per cent. The lone blemish on his pro record is an eight-round draw with Jack Flatley in June, 2018. Since turning pro he’s also captured the vacant IBF European Super Welterweight Title. It could be argued that Williamson hasn’t fought the same level of opponents as Kelly as his biggest wins have been over Ted Cheeseman, Kieran Smith, Mason Cartwright and Dario Socci.
Prediction…
This is a good European-level matchup for the British title as there isn’t much to choose between the two boxers. Kelly has the slicker boxing skills while Williamson is more aggressive with greater power. It’s quite evenly matched but I’ve just got the feeling that Williamson will do just enough to grind out a victory here and remain undefeated.
Williamson’s natural aggressiveness should be the difference.
Play: Williamson -120 @ BetOnline.ag
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Josh Kelly betting • Troy Williamson betting