Kelly v Avanesyan - EBU Welterweight title - 20/2/21 SKY/DAZN

A lot of people saying this was bad matchmaking or Avanesyan has got potential, but unlike last week, I’m not sure this was bad matchmaking.
This fight has been on and off for a good 2 years, so Kelly’s team clearly thought he was ready. And everybody has been saying he had the best camp and was in the shape of his life. So maybe it’s just a reality check.
I hope Kelly and his team learn from this and make the improvements needed because I really thought he was going to be special.
As for Avanesyan having potential, he’s a 32 year old ex World Champion that 5 years ago beat Shane Moseley.
Now we can say Moseley was past it, but he doesn’t go into any ring to be someone’s patsy.
So even to be of the standard to get in the ring with Moseley means you have something about you.

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Originally Posted by Primo Carnera

A lot of people saying this was bad matchmaking or Avanesyan has got potential, but unlike last week, I’m not sure this was bad matchmaking..

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Originally Posted by Dia bando

Simple over matched Avanesyan way to seasoned for Kelly Josh was over hyped bad matching by Hearn again.

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Actually this was good match making.

Lots of fighters put up empty records at 20-0 and then expect to be paid like a world level fighter (here's looking at your PBC fighters). Hearn is not like that. He'll overpay relative to other promoters but he has less patience than others. That's why other than Joshua, Hearn doesn't have a single multi-year or 5+ fight contract with any fighter.

Hearn gives more financial reward for a shorter period but the fighter better hold up his side of the bargain (i.e. that the fighter generates enough money for Matchroom to make a profit)

If Josh Kelly was a PBC fighter, he wouldn’t step up until he was 25-0. Hearn want to find if you're good enough or not and he wants to know quick. There are pro's and con's to this but that's the matchroom model.

As to the fight ? When I see a young British fighter using the shoulder roll, specially in round one, I'm like...Hmmm... Poor fellow! Kelly needs a change of style, that shoulder Roll Sh^t STOP IT! Not even Mayweather stayed in the Shoulder Roll for the entire fight.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chor..._left_hook.gif

Too much flashy crap, not enough solid basics and stamina. All that hands down crap is discouraged for a reason. Very few fighters have the reflexes and eyes to get away with it against top class opposition. Kelly should go down level and fight a Ted Cheeseman or Anthony Fowler or maybe even a faded Kell Brook or Amir Khan would be a good name to have on his record

if only id have gone with my gut instinct and put on some bets this weekend

i was sure valdez would win and right before the fight i was looking at odds on kelly getting knocked out

to be fair to the betting instinct gods id have probably gone for 8-10

Tough loss that. Even when Kelly was having success he still looked like he was getting beaten up. Reddening up around the face, unlucky with the two cuts. All added to the overall picture that he was being busted up and drowned at some stage. Strange 5th round (I think) where he tried to impose his size and strength on Avanesyan and push him around. It worked, but he threw next to no punches so Avanesyan just went with it and allowed it.

Great job by Avanesyan and his team. Quality operator and a simple game plan executed perfectly. Drown him, don't let him breath. Eventually Kelly broke.