Josh Kelly insists he’s still the stylistic nightmare Conor Benn never faced and claims he would “stand Chris Eubank Jnr on his head” if the middleweight ever obliged. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of his 6 June return versus Romanian trial horse Flavius Biea, the Sunderland slickster said a Benn meeting at 154 lbs, or the 157-lb catch-weight Benn and Eubank used last month, would be signed “in a heartbeat.”
The rivalry once looked inevitable when both were unbeaten welterweights, but Kelly’s 2021 loss to David Avanesyan stalled momentum while Benn’s profile ballooned through highlight KOs and the blockbuster (ultimately losing) grudge match with Eubank. Kelly has since climbed to super-welter and even notched a 159-lb win over Ishmael Davis, but says he’s been “too quiet” in comparison: “Conor’s clever at marketing - I should start shouting everybody out.”
Watch Kelly vs. Davis highlights: Watch
Benn has yet to confirm his next move after falling to Eubank on points at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and promotional politics remain a hurdle - Matchroom promote Benn, while Kelly fights under Wasserman. Still, Kelly believes size and timing now favour him: “If he can’t make 147 any more, I’m the biggest guy at 154.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports