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Josh Kelly Back To His Best In Dominant Victory Over Troy Williamson

Written by Kerr Ferguson on 2nd December 2022.

Josh Kelly and Troy Williamson highlights

Josh Kelly cruised to a points victory over Troy Williamson in a North Eastern grudge match that saw him crowned British Super-Welterweight Champion.

In the red corner, Kelly was coming off two victories following a derailing and damaging loss to David Avanesyan in early 2021. Across the ring was Williamson – undefeated as a pro, and entering the arena with 14 knockouts from 19 wins.

The boos were loud enough for both men that it was hard to tell who had the most local support. The bell rang on the 73rd British Super Welterweight title contest.

Kelly started well, his hands low as they felt each other out. His speed caught Williamson quickly and the champion looked slightly dazed in the first. It was a clear round and an excellent start for ‘Pretty Boy’, whose quick feet were taking him and out of range. Williamson though is known for two things – starting slow and weathering storms.

The challenger stayed standing – swaggering almost – in between rounds as Adam Booth delivered his instructions. Williamson came out on the front foot in the second, but the difference in speed was stark. Kelly was looking for big uppercuts – his best tool throughout – and found some success.

A pattern developed in the third and continued through the majority of the fight – Kelly inviting Williamson on, dodging whatever came his way, and firing back with stinging shots. If he did get hit, Kelly would negate the danger by tying up. ‘Trojan’ simply couldn’t keep to the pace set by ‘PBK.’

Right at the end of the round, Williamson landed the shot he had been looking for – a big right hand that chin-tested Kelly. He passed, but it was a warning of the power.

Into the fifth and Kelly was getting tagged slightly more than he’d like, but he fired back with his own huge shots. Williamson tried to grab on but he was shook off and it was a tense final minute for the British champ. Kelly – red shorts, red gloves – ended the round by playing matador to Williamson’s bull.

At the halfway stage, the strongest argument was for 6-0 to Kelly. He shut down the space at any sign of potential trouble, but wasn’t fighting a negative fight at all – just a smart one. He danced on the ropes avoiding punches a la Floyd Mayweather to entertain the crowd at the end of the seventh.

To his credit, Williamson ate plenty of clean punches and barely took a backwards step. Kelly’s low hands – whilst nerve racking for an audience – allows him to fire shots from the hip that opponent’s don’t see coming.

As the championship rounds crept closer, Williamson could only hope for a knockout – but going for it just allowed his opponent more openings. He was hurt again in the ninth.

Kelly began to bleed from the head in the eleventh, not dissimilar to one of the cuts suffered in the Avanesyan defeat. Any fear that flashbacks might make the fighter falter were quickly dashed as he sent Williamson across the ring with a left hook. Well aware of how the rounds were going, he didn’t even chase to follow up with another shot.

Williamson gave his all in the last three minutes. Kelly showboated again in response. The fighters shared a nice moment after the final bell before referee Mark Lyson raised Kelly’s hand with a unanimous decision – 118-110, 119-109, 119-111. The fighter answered a lot of questions tonight, and put himself firmly back on the tracks he was on before his sole defeat.

Elsewhere on the card, Lyndon Arthur scored an impressive second round knockout victory. The jab that helped ‘King’ Arthur’ beat Anthony Yarde in their first bout was on show once more, and he wobbled Joel McIntyre with more than half of the round to go. The referee stepped in to wave it off after four hard, unanswered shots.