Boxing Clever: Josh Kelly’s time to shine and why Sky Sports could leave boxing
Josh Kelly believes his Surrey bolthole will be key to victory over David Avanesyan tonight.
The Sunderland puncher has spent training camp in isolation from his wife and two kids in a flat near trainer Adam Booth's gym.
Kelly, 26, hopes it will help overcome Russian puncher Avanesyan to settle the rivalry between them and claim the European welterweight crown at Wembley Arena.
“Of course it's hard being away from family," Kelly, 26, said.
“I think it's hard when people go to work in the morning and leave their kids for a day.
“But this fight has taken the focus off everything else.
“I've been laser focused when I've been in the gym – it's like nothing else exists.
“I've been living in a little flat in Surrey next to the gym.
“That has been perfect for me to switch off from the outside world. It has been the perfect camp.”
It is an intriguing fight between the Rio Olympian and Euro champion Avanesyan, who once held a version of the WBA title.
The pair were due to meet in 2018 before Kelly pulled out on the morning of the fight which has led to claims from Avanesyan's British manager Neil Marsh that the English rising star is running scared.
Covid-19 has pushed the fight further back last year but now it looks set to finally happen and victory for Kelly would be a breakthrough moment.
One of Kelly's team already landed a blow on the Russian's manager Marsh in a bit of pre-fight bubble trouble this week at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley.
But the proper punches will be thrown on Saturday night in an exciting fight.
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Sky Sports could walk away from boxing this summer and end its 31-year relationship with the sport.
Talks are continuing with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport over extending their current contract with the broadcaster which expires in July.
There is still confidence from both sides that they will reach an agreement to extend in the coming weeks.
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But if no deal is struck then it may be the final bell for the sport on the Sky platform.
Ever since Barney Francis left his role as Sky Sports boss there has been concern in boxing that the channel could move away.
It is understood current Sky Sports chief Rob Webster is not as big a fan of the sport, although does see value in it.
Through big Anthony Joshua events it can generate huge pay-per-view revenue, but advertising and viewing figures for other fight nights don't hit the heights of other sports.
A recent BBC Panorama documentary on Daniel Kinahan, his alleged crimes and involvement in boxing has again shone a negative light on the sport.
But the talk about leaving the sport began surfacing before the Covid-19 pandemic struck and the financial damage from that won't have helped.
Another option is for Sky Sports to stay in the sport but just bid for events on a fight-for-fight basis.
That would suit Hearn, too, it seems after his comments in a recent Boxing News interview suggested taking different fights to different broadcasters.
DAZN, the streaming giant, are now in the UK and Hearn could align himself with them on these shores like he has in the US but ITV continue to keep an eye on developments too.
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