Boxer
Born: January 17, 1932;
Died: December 29, 2016
JOHN Kelly, who has died aged 84, was the first Irish bantamweight boxer to win a Lonsdale championship and is remembered by boxing fans of a certain generation for his two epic battles with Scotland's only double outright Lonsdale Belt winner Glaswegian Peter Keenan.
Immaculately dressed and with a quiet self-effacing charm and a sharp intelligence, in the ring he was ruthlessly tigerish. He was born and raised in Belfast, where, from a young age, his boxing-mad father taught John and his brother Pat the basics of the sport.
Endowed with outstanding natural abilities, the young Kelly won every junior amateur boxing title for which he competed and his ascent into senior amateur boxing was sensational. He confirmed his class by reaching the 1950 European amateur bantamweight championship final. There, only a cut eye stoppage prevented him capturing the gold medal.
After becoming 1950 European Silver medallist, Kelly turned pro under veteran Belfast manager Steve Boyle and his first bout in December1951 was nothing short of sensational. Faced with a seasoned former amateur titlist Peter Morrison, Kelly drew rave reviews for the way he first outboxed then knocked out his rival.
As he held a good daytime job as a civil aircraft fitter, Kelly refused to give up this occupation and devote his time exclusively to boxing as most pros did then. The daily demands of his daytime employer also explains why he also fought most of his career bouts exclusively in Belfast.
Possessed of marvellous evasion skills, Kelly tore through his first four pro rivals in impressive style. But the boxing press and fans were nevertheless aghast when it was announced he would tackle Liverpool based Nigerian Hogan ''Kid'' Bassey in what was only Kelly's fifth paid contest. However, it was Kelly who outpointed Bassey in their April 1952 clash - a victory which led to him being awarded the British Boxing Writers accolade of Outstanding Young Boxer of the Year in 1952.
The Bassey win also paved the way for Kelly to outbox fellow Irish bantamweight Bunty Doran for the Irish featherweight crown. He then challenged Glasgow's Peter Keenan for the his British and Empire crowns.
In December 1953 in Belfast's King's Hall, Kelly not only became Ireland's first ever British bantamweight champion but on the night gave Keenan a lesson in the subtle skills normally associated with the Glasgow man, becoming the new British 8st 6lbs champion.
However, weight making problems had begun to cause the newly crowned Belfast champion problems so it was a weight weakened Kelly who fought French Algerian Robert Cohen for Cohen's European title in February 1954 in Belfast.
A noted body puncher like future world champion Cohen was a nightmare scenario for any weight weakened boxer and Cohen was a formidable exponent of body shots. No surprises then, that after numerous visits to the canvas, the referee halted the fight and raised Cohen's hand in victory.
Kelly was never the same again after the Cohen debacle. So much so that when he finally granted ex-champion Peter Keenan a rematch at Paisley Ice Rink in 1954 the Glasgow man knocked out his erstwhile conqueror Kelly in the sixth round.
Shortly after that, Kelly retired but with his well-paid aircraft plan job and his mind intact after avoiding rather than absorbing punches he remained a popular figure in Northern Irish boxing circles enjoying family life.
His health had deteriorated in recent years and he is survived by his family.
BRIAN DONALD
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