All the details you need to watch the David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly title fight
'AVA' vs 'PBK'
BBN have provided viewers with all the details needed to tune in and watch the long, ongoing 'Cold War' finally reach it's conclusion between Russian David Avanesyan (26-3-1, 14KOs) and Briton Josh Kelly (10-0-1, 6KOs) on the 51st day of the year.
Date
The bout takes place on Saturday, February 20.
Venue
The SSE Arena, Wembley, London.
Rounds scheduled
12 three-minute rounds at welterweight (147lbs).
Titles
'Ava's' European welterweight title is up for grabs. He has held the prestigous blue belt for 23-months, since March 30, 2019.
Ringwalks
The ring walks for the main event are expected from 10pm UK time, but that will depend on the undercard results.
TV Coverage
Coverage for the main event starts live on Sky Sports Arena at 7:00pm (Sky Channel 408) and finsihes at 11pm.
To watch online, click here: https://www.skysports.com/watch
Live Stream
You can watch online via the Sky Sports website here: https://www.skysports.com/watch
BBN are providing LIVE updates on the night HERE
Price
The event is free to view for Sky Sports subscribers.
Undercard Highlights
Exciting Merseysider Robbie Davies Jr (20-2, 13KOs) is back in his first title fight since March 2019. He is aiming to win the IBF Inter-Continental super-lightweight strap agaist Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela (22-2-1, 13KOs), who has an exact identical record – except for the one draw, this pair share same number of wins, losses, and knockouts.
The former WBC FECARBOX titleholder from Mexico is unbeaten in his last 20 bouts, but his 26th contest will be the first ever outside of his continent. His only two defeats were to unbeaten fighters who are now 21-0 and 22-0. There was another Mexican just last week who also fought outside his continent for the first time, with two losses on his ledger, and look how that turned out! Davies has already acknowledged this fact and is prepared for Valenzuela's A-game, promising not to suffer from the same fate as stablemate, Warrington.
31-year-old Davies Jr has already bounced back with a shutout points victory over an unheralded Argentinian journeyman in his last fight in March 2020, just weeks before lockdown first hit the UK. The eight-rounder on the Quigg-Carroll undercard in Manchester was designed to get the rounds in and some confidence back after defeat to Lewis Ritson five months prior.
Known as 'Nini', the 26-year-old Mexican is aiming to acheive exactly what his compatriot Mauricio Lara did at the same venue last week – and that's to spoil the party again. The WBC FECARBOX title he first held in the summer of 2019, 19 months ago, was once won by Breidis Prescott 21 months before he knocked out Amir Khan. He will be spurred on by that fact, as well as inspired by Lara's shock victory just last weekend.
Related Articles
Everything you ever need to know about Avanesyan vs Kelly can be found HERE
Quotes
David Avanesyan: "The first time we were supposed to fight, Kelly said 'no fight' three hours before the first bell. It was very difficult for me. You give everything to this sport, all of that hard work and losing the weight. I still don't understand why. People say that Kelly was feeling unwell, but I saw Kelly in the evening after the weigh-in looking happy and speaking with friends. Everything was good.
"I've been training for this fight for over two years. I hope everything will be okay this time. I will never disrespect any fighter, but let’s just say the events of the past couple of years have made me very angry. The fact I have to spend Christmas away from my family and young child has given me extra motivation, not that any was needed."
Josh Kelly: “It’s a good opportunity to silence the doubters. He is the favourite now. He has proved how good he is in the last three fights. It’s going to be a good fight, but one I’m quietly confident about. When I win, then I take it to the next level. A lot in the future is lying on this fight.”
More press conference quotes HERE
Predictions
Tim Rickson,BBN Editor: “It's hard to predict the outcome of this fight after so many cancellations. Who knows how the delays could have affected either individual? Kelly could have been in the best shape and form to have won the first fight date, Avanesyan the next, and so on.
Both will be very determined to finally get in the ring and win, even more so after all the disappointments of not fighting when they were scheduled to and having to make so many sacrifices along the way, such as missing Christmas, being away from their families etc. There will be a bit of needle because of that, and both will want to get this unfinished business well and truly finished!
If I try to picture how the fight plays out then I think the most likely scenario would be with Josh Kelly boxing clever to rack up the rounds and win on points. It may take him a few rounds to get going, I expect it to be cagey early on with both having so much time out of the ring. You can't go all guns blazing not knowing how the break will affect you first.
'Ava' is a former world champion, who beat Sugar Shane Mosley, and has the experience and the momentum behind him, as well as the confidence that comes with being the champion. I can also picture him winning this fight, so it's just impossible to call.”
Background
This pair were originally slated to meet in December 2018 before an illness forced Kelly to withdraw on the day of the contest, leading to 'bottle job' jibes from Avanesyan's manager Neil Marsh.
The Russian, trained by Carl Greaves, dealt with that disappointment by ripping the European welterweight title away from unbeaten Spaniard Kerman Lejarraga, who was 27-0 at the time, having just defeated Frankie Gavin. Six months later, in September 2019, 'Ava' defended the title to the same man, this time stopping him round one.
He further sent a message to his rivals by defending the belt in February last year with another first-round KO. It's taken the European welterweight champion just 272 seconds to retain his title in his only two defences so far.
The 2016 Olympian has an incredible amateur pedigree behind him and has defeated a world champion already in his pro career when he decisioned former IBF champ Carlos Molina in 2018 to win the WBA International welterweight title.
When he stepped up in competition to take on is a crafty, skilled southpaw Ray Robinson (24-3-2, 12KOs), he was forced to settle for a draw. The Philadephian can make fights ugly and proved to be a real problem for Kelly, who had to deal with two cut eyes. Although some feel that the young Brit should have been given the decision, it was by no means a robbery either. Instead, it was a draw and a steep learning curve for the 26-year-old 'Pretty boy'.
It's very interesting that since their failed first date didn't take place, Kelly has been taken the 10-round distance in his last three fights and sturggled at times, but Avanesyan has stopped all of his previous three opponents with ease. So Kelly is no longer the clear favourite to win like he was two years ago.
Rankings
Avanesyan: WBC #7; WBA #9; IBF #6; WBO #10; BoxRec #8
Kelly: IBF #15; BoxRec #20
Official Weights
JORDAN GILL 8st 13lbs 5oz
CESAR JUAREZ 8st 13lbs 2oz
JOHNNY FISHER 16st 13lbs 10oz
MATT GORDON 17st 3lbs 10oz
ROBBIE DAVIES JR 9st 12lbs 2oz
GABRIEL VALENZUELA 9st 12lbs 8oz
FLORIAN MARKU 10st 6lbs 8oz
RYLAN CHARLTON 10st 4lbs 6oz
DAVID AVANESYAN 10st 6lbs 6oz
JOSH KELLY 10st 6lbs
Betting Odds Supplied by Star Sports
4/5 David Avanesyan
20/1 Josh Kely
1/1 Draw
Running Order
Main Event:
David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly
12×3 European welterweight contest
Chief Support:
Florian Marku vs Rylan Charlton
10×3 Welterweight contest
Fight #3
Robbie Davies Jr vs Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela
10×3 IBF Inter-Continental super-lightweight title
Fight #2
Jonny Fisher vs Matt Gordon
4×3 Heavyweight contest
Fight #1
Jordan Gill vs Cesar Juarez
10×3 IBF featherweight contest
HÖRFA are proud sponsors of British Boxing News