The chief support fight to the WBO middleweight title clash between Saunders and Lee saw Liverpool?s Liam Smith defend his WBO light-middleweight title against Manchester?s Jimmy Kelly.
Both fighters entered the ring with 100% records but it was to be Smith, who won his world title against the American John Thompson, back in October, becoming the first of the four fighting Smith brothers to win a world title, who was to emerge victorious.
Although Kelly entered the ring unbeaten, Liam Smith had far too much class for him and was to win the fight in the seventh round.
Smith started the fight beautifully and his punches were full of snap, full of power, were precise and were, mainly, on target. Kelly had no answer to Smith?s left-hook and by the fourth round the challengers work had slowed dramatically.
The sixth round was controversial to say the least with Kelly being deducted two points for a blatant headbutt, something many other referees would have disqualified a boxer for.
The end for Kelly came in the seventh round when another barrage of punches had him in trouble and as the referee, Howard Foster, stepped in to save Kelly from further punishment his trainer, Ensley Bingham, was waving the towel to pull his fighter out.
The win takes Smith to 23-0 with talk now being of a unification fight with either the Cuban Erislandy Lara (the WBA champion), or the American Jermall Charlo (the IBF champion).
Liam Smith Retains WBO Crown Stopping Jimmy Kelly
