Josh Kelly: David Avanesyan was the better man, I gave it my all
Josh Kelly suffered his first pro loss this past Saturday, broken down and stopped in the sixth round by David Avanesyan, who retained the European welterweight title with the win.
Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KO) is now at a career crossroads, as many have noted. There has been doubt for some time from fans, media, critics, and fellow fighters, even, about how far Kelly, 26, can really go as a pro, and a loss like the one he suffered against Avanesyan only makes for more questions.
But Kelly is doing alright, thankful for the support he’s received, and sounds for sure like he’ll be back:
“When setbacks happen in your life it shows who’s really there for you and on your side through thick or thin, and this has shown me how many people care for me as a person, not just a boxer,” Kelly wrote on Instagram.
“I gave it my all in there Saturday, another experience I take on this journey in life,” he added. “Beat by a better man on the night and that’s that.”
It’s the right sort of attitude, at least on the surface. We’ll see if Kelly stays with trainer Adam Booth, who threw the towel — it was the right move by Booth, but that’s an outsider’s perspective, too. You never really know what a fighter will do after a loss, and that definitely extends to their relationship with a trainer.
