Beacon to host Josh Kelly homecoming bout

Sunderland fan Josh Kelly will return to his home town to fight for the first time as a professional when he takes on Roarke Knapp at the Beacon of Light later this year.  

The Black Cats fan and former Team GB Olympian will fight at the Beacon of Light on December 16 against the power punching South African.

Kelly's last fight in Sunderland was in 2012 when he was coming through the amateur ranks pushing towards international titles and Olympic qualification.

Fast forward to present day and he's one of the leading contenders in the super welterweight division.

Speaking ahead of the bout on home soil, Kelly, who is ranked as the No1 contender by the WBO, and also holds lofty positions with the IBF and WBC, said: “I’m so excited to be boxing back home, in Sunderland, for the first time as a professional. I can’t wait to put on a show and get dancing under those lights, with the support of my city behind me.”

“This is my time to step it up, I belong with the best in the world and so what better way to cement my legacy and introduce myself to the world, than in the UK," Knapp said. “Kelly is a sublime talent, we’ve both got brilliant styles and it’s going to be great to mix it up and see who the better man on the night is.

“I spent my formative years in the UK, I still have family there and my Dad was born and bred in Sunderland, so the blood that flows through these veins is also from Sunderland and I am a Sunderland fan through and through.”

The fight will be shown live on DAZN, with Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman Boxing, Kalle Sauerland claiming it's one of the biggest nights in Kelly's career to date. “December 16 is the most important night of Josh Kelly’s career and so making sure he has the backing of his home fans, was vital," he said.

“I was stunned to learn that he’s not boxed in the great sporting city of Sunderland since he was an amateur, 11 years ago, so for everyone involved this is going to be a special homecoming. Josh is one of British boxing’s most gifted fighters and now that he is entering his prime, he is ready for all-comers.

"Knapp is the type of big-punching fighter that a lot of Josh’s rivals would have avoided like the plague, but not our man. To prove he is the best in the division, he’s prepared to take on anyone.” 

Tickets are available to purchase here.