The world at their feet? How Josh Kelly’s title glory can open up global opportunities for North East boxers

Following Josh Kelly’s IBF light-middleweight world title win in January and rumours surrounding a world title fight at the Stadium of Light there’s been several questions posed regarding what kind of doors this is going to open for fighters in the North East.

Josh Kelly started his boxing career at Hetton ABC in 2007. Where he would have his first fight the year later on his first home show where he would win on a unanimous decision which would prove as a glimpse of what was to come.

Eight years later Kelly would have his final amateur fight at the 2016 Olympics where he would unfortunately make an early exit and would choose to turn pro the year after in 2017 seeing him win on points.

R78KCX Josh Kelly weighs in ahead of his fight with David Avanesyan on the Matchroom Boxing show in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Earlier this year Kelly would go on to win his first world title beating Bakhram Murtazaliev in the North East making himself the first world champion from Sunderland and doing so has brought along a new spotlight for the region and is aiming to create opportunities for boxers in the region.

To find out what boxers and coaches actually wanted to see following his victory I chose to seek out a professional boxer who would tell me what he would hope to see in terms of opportunities.

Walking into the gym I was greeted by an immediate buzz emanating from the back of the gym which is where I was first introduced to Josh Blenkiron a boxer who had recently boxed on Kellys last undercard. I could barely hear myself think over the noise reverberating from the ring the clashes from the gloves resembling notes from a song and Blenkiron was the conductor.

Once he had finished sparring with the poor soul in with him his demeanour changed entirely, the man who had just dominated in the ring stepped through those ropes caught my gaze and immediately struck a smile, asked me how I was, how my day was going and if I managed to get here okay. He conducted himself like I had saved his life the day before and as if he owed himself to me.

After a quick introduction we sat down and discussed his life in the sport where he shared with me his own story with the sport and how he got into it.

“Probably my dad. Um, you know, he had Dunston he’s got Dunston boxing club and um, always looked up to him in terms of boxing. He’s how I got his into the sport. With him having the gym at Dunston Um, I used to go down there and mess about and, you know, hit the bags and stuff like that. And then one day I just said, look, I want to box, and he was over the moon.”

“When I first went, I was like six. Um, I used to just go and mess around, and then I was 9 or 10, and I said, look, I want to box. And I had my first fight when I was 11.”

14 years later Josh would go on to have his first professional fight and currently stands undefeated after 9 fights. His introduction to the sport follows Kellys very similarly and them being both local boxers is only just the beginning. Especially with both men coming from boxing families and having big aspirations, with Blenkiron also hoping to possibly box at a stadium like Kelly.

Upon asking him what he thought about Kellys triumph the other month he was very supportive of Kelly and quite proud of his achievement. Oh, yeah obviously you want all the local lads to do well. Um, you know, all the, the lads that win at that level open their doors for these small shows. Um give me the opportunity that I got last time. You know, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have boxed. Yeah.

“Obviously, Um and you know again it’s going to be another opportunity for the likes of me if I win this boxing title. Um hopefully I’ll get my name up there one day. Boxing stadium up here. St James’ Park, you know what I mean?  

Stepping away from Blenkiron to get more of an outside view took to Facebook to see what the general public had to say and came across Leonard Milburn a passionate fan of the sport on both an amateur and professional level wants to see a “growing interest in boxing at the grassroots level in an attempt to secure more funds for local gyms in an attempt in a local revival of the sport”.

However, regarding the possible fight at the Stadium of Light, he has high hopes for possible candidates to fight Kelly hoping for a “unification bout or super-fight with Jarron ‘boots’ Ennis”.

Regardless of what happens Josh Kelly has already had a clear influence on the North East boxing scene and all that’s left is to see how it will continue to grow.

But otherwise all we can do as boxing fans is sit and wait to see what Josh Kelly does to boost the stock of boxing in the North East and if he pulls through with his fight at the Stadium of Light.