Troy Williamson and Josh Kelly both faced each other in a pivotal match where the BBBofC’s British Junior Middleweight/Super Welterweight title – held by Williamson – was on the line. Kelly won the match and the title by unanimous decision. The scorecards from the judges following the fight showcased he won by a wide margin, specifically 111-119, 110-118 and 109-119. The bout was held at the Newcastle Arena, in Newcastle on Friday the 2nd of December.
Troy Williamson (19-1-1, 14 KO’s) suffered his first loss last Friday after being soundly defeated by fellow Brit Josh Kelly (13-1-1, 7 KO’s). Kelly’s performance left no room for Williamson to make an impact offensively, and the former undefeated fighter seemed to have trouble hitting Kelly throughout the fight. Kelly himself remained poised and calm while he let Williamson tire himself down while countering when needed. After twelve rounds, there was little to no doubt of who had won the fight following Williamson’s struggles to hit his targets, and Kelly’s slick movement of feet, body and head along with his excellent timing sealed the match for him.
Troy Williamson had been the British champion since 2021 after stopping its previous holder, Ted Cheeseman (17-3-1, 10 KO’s). Though Kelly did not win a British title before this fight, he has won several other mid-tier titles throughout his career including the WBA International and Commonwealth title at Welterweight. After suffering his first loss at the 147 lbs division in 2021 against David Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KO’s), Kelly moved up to Junior Middleweight/Super Welterweight and had recorded two successful victories at 154lbs before fighting Williamson.
Kelly – 28 – can now look forward to a range of opportunities at the international level following his victory, while Williamson – 31 – will look to recuperate and rebuild himself following his loss to the British prospect. As Williamson was ranked in the top 10 of at least two governing bodies (WBO and IBF), it is likely that the next update of the rankings will give John Kelly a boost in his position.
