{"id":447183,"date":"2026-02-01T12:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T12:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447183\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T12:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T12:39:09","slug":"spooky-premonitions-drive-unfancied-kelly-to-top-of-boxing-mountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447183\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Spooky premonitions’ drive unfancied Kelly to top of boxing mountain"},"content":{"rendered":"

The writing was quite literally on the wall for Josh Kelly in the days before the biggest fight of his career.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of his victory over Bakhram Murtazaliev<\/a> to win the IBF light-middleweight title on Saturday, Britain’s Kelly says he was getting signs all week that it would be his night.<\/p>\n

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Upon checking into his hotel in Newcastle the 2016 Olympian opted for a steam and shower to loosen up – it was there that he saw the five Olympic rings on the mirror in his bathroom.<\/p>\n

But the “spooky” signs did not end there.<\/p>\n

In the days that followed he got taxis to and from media events. One of the registration plates had the letters PYT – the same initials as the song by Michael Jackson that plays when he walks to the ring.<\/p>\n

There was another taxi with the letters NEW. Kelly saw that as a reference to “and the new” – the phrase he heard announced when his arm was raised in the ring to confirm he was the champion.<\/p>\n

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“I was seeing all these signs and thinking this is just spooky,” said Kelly, who only had a small cut on his cheek despite a gruelling affair.<\/p>\n

“I thought this is either going to be a good thing or a bad thing.”<\/p>\n

Saturday’s victory in front of 4,000 vociferous fans, who made the short trip to Newcastle from Sunderland, was the crowning moment of Kelly’s rollercoaster career.<\/p>\n

The bout was a microcosm of his 20-fight journey in the ring. It was full of bravery and another tale of overcoming adversity.<\/p>\n

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Kelly entered the bout as an underdog and was written off by many before he’d even laced up his gloves.<\/p>\n

It was not the first time he had been overlooked but unlike five years ago when he suffered a shock defeat and was battling with chronic hypochondria<\/a> – the condition more formally called illness anxiety disorder – Kelly is now working with a reinforced mindset.<\/p>\n

He came out confidently, knowing his coaching team, family and friends all believed he had the ability to prevail.<\/p>\n

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‘Pretty Boy’ danced around the ring and taunted the previously undefeated Murtazaliev before scoring a knockdown in the fourth round.<\/p>\n

Murtazaliev rallied and responded with a knockdown of his own in the ninth but this was also something Kelly had experienced a premonition about.<\/p>\n

“I was praying the other day and had a vision of me being knocked down in a round,” Kelly said.<\/p>\n

“I got back up and had these different feelings. One of them was that I got sloppy and lost the fight but the other was me getting back to what I do best and seeing through the round.”<\/p>\n

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Kelly has come a long way from his mental struggles, which dovetailed with difficulties in making the weight when he fought at welterweight.<\/p>\n

“I told everyone what I was dealing with at 147lbs (10st 7lb, 6.7kg), especially when it was Covid and I had health anxieties,” Kelly said.<\/p>\n

“I was telling my dad I was getting sick when I was in the hotels and always wearing a mask.”<\/p>\n

Kelly was tipped as a star of the future when he made his way through the amateur ranks and earned the chance to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics.<\/p>\n

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In his first 10 fights as a professional, Kelly – who signed with promoter Matchroom – fought on cards at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, London’s O2 Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York.<\/p>\n

He was being pushed hard and delivering with winning performances.<\/p>\n

But Kelly’s dreams came crashing down after his loss against Avanesyan and he took a 16-month break before returning as a light-middleweight.<\/p>\n

“I put Avanesyan to bed a long time ago,” Kelly said. “I just had to believe in myself.”<\/p>\n

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Now Kelly has the world at his feet.<\/p>\n

Homecoming on the cards for Kelly – what next?\"Josh<\/p>\n

Josh Kelly has always dreamed of fighting at the Stadium of Light [PA Media]<\/p>\n

Matchroom CEO Frank Smith confirmed that Kelly, who only re-signed with the promoter in November, had agreed to fight WBA interim champion Jaron Ennis next if he dispatched with Murtazaliev.<\/p>\n

“Josh is in a position where he can take whatever shot he wants,” Smith said.<\/p>\n

“Within the next week or so – that’s not a deadline – we need to decide what to do next.”<\/p>\n

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Unification is also a possibility for Kelly. WBA champion Abass Baraou and WBO title-holder Xander Zayas are set to meet later tonight in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n

While the next opponent remains unclear, his next destination appears to already be decided.<\/p>\n

Smith received a text from officials at Kelly’s beloved football team Sunderland in the minutes after his win saying “good win for Josh, let’s do Stadium of Light next”.<\/p>\n

The Black Cats have invited Kelly to attend Monday’s Premier League game against Burnley.<\/p>\n

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“There are plenty of names to fill that stadium,” Kelly said.<\/p>\n

“It would be a crazy night at the Stadium of Light. It’s history made already but now it’s time to make those big fights that get your next door neighbour talking.”<\/p>\n

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