Josh Kelly, the hometown hero, and a force to be reckoned with in the 154lbs division, is gearing up for a spectacular showdown this Saturday in Sunderland. Broadcast live on DAZN, Kelly is all set to put on a show-stopping performance at the Beacon of Light in a Wasserman Boxing event, partnered up with William Hill.
Kelly’s unfazed by a last-minute opponent swap, ready to face the hard-hitting Placido Ramirez, who steps in for the injured Roarke Knapp. But Kelly’s eyes are already on the prize for 2024, with big-name fights on his radar. When the likes of Conor Benn, Chris Eubank Junior, and Kell Brook came up as potential opponents, Kelly didn’t mince words at a press conference held at the Stadium of Light. His message? He’ll marmalize them, plain and simple.
Josh Kelly had this to say: “I’ll absolutely trounce them. Every single one. They’re just prancing around – why don’t they just get in the ring and sort it out? Let’s see who’s the best once and for all.”
Kalle Sauerland, the bigwig of boxing at Wasserman, chimed in: “This guy, right here, is the world’s number one, coming back home this weekend. He’s shining on DAZN, a prime spot to boost Josh before the major showdowns next year. Saturday? Expect a charged-up Ramirez, a real Colombian powerhouse. They’ve shaken things up here before, but not in Sunderland, no way. I’m eyeing some massive fights for Josh in 2024 – domestic blockbusters, the works. Names like Chris Eubank Junior, Conor Benn, and hey, Kell Brook might be back in the game.”
Adam Booth, Kelly’s coach, added: “Ramirez is a tough cookie – experienced, hard-hitting, and he plays to win. That’s perfect because Josh ups his game when the stakes are high. I’ve seen some heavy hitters in my time, and Josh is right up there. When you need to ice your forearm for five minutes after training because it hurts so much, you know you’re dealing with serious power.”
Placido Ramirez, with 17 KO wins under his belt, stated: “The moment my manager mentioned this fight, I was all in. I said, ‘let’s do this’ because I wanted to seize this opportunity. I’ve been throwing some heavy punches my whole career, and that’s not going to change this Saturday night.”
Also, this Saturday, Wasserman Boxing is showcasing two of British boxing’s rising stars. Dan Toward and Tom Welland are both stepping into their second pro fights, ready to make some noise in the boxing world.
KELLY VS. RAMIREZ FIGHT CARD
WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND RUNNING ORDER
First bell scheduled for 17:25 GMT
6 Rounds Middleweight contest Tursynbay Kulakhmet 161.7lbs Fouad El Massoudi 162.1lbs
6 Rounds Super Middleweight contest Andrei Dascalu 166lbs Angel Emilov 166.4lbs
4 Rounds Super Welterweight contest Harvey Lambert 149.2lbs Fabio Cascone 154.15lbs
6 Rounds Super Bantamweight contest Tom Welland 126lbs Yuri Zanoli 122.14lbs
6 Rounds Super Lightweight contest Ben Marksby 143.8lbs Kurt Jackson 141.15lbs
6 Rounds Super Welterweight contest Travis Waters 149.8lbs Mykhailo Sovtus 152.9lbs
6 Rounds Super Welterweight contest Dan Toward 155.4lbs Nikolas Dzurnak 153.9lbs
IBO World Super Welterweight title final eliminator 12 Rounds Josh Kelly 153.8lbs Placido Ramirez 153.2lbs
