Heavyweight Danny Kelly Joins GH3 Promotions
by Gautham Nagesh
Apologies for the hiatus, dear readers. I spent a whole week in New York for the Asian American Journalists Association 2013 Convention, and then took advantage of a dead week for boxing to take a momentary respite before things ramp up.
We just received confirmation that Stiff Jab is officially credentialed for Floyd Mayweather vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Showtime Pay Per View on September 14th, so we look forward to covering all the action at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I’ll be doing my best to bring you daily reports leading up to the fight, which we expect will be the biggest boxing event in many years.
First, some news concerning the DMV fight scene. Our friend Gary “Digital” Williams brings us the news that Headbangers heavyweight Danny “Smooth” Kelly (above, below) has become the latest local prospect to join the stable of GH3 Promotions, based out of Newark, N.J. Kelly joins unbeaten DMV natives Antoine “Action” Douglas, a middleweight, and super middleweight Jerry “Two Tickets To Paradise” Odom, who are both signed with GH3. The trio are set to appear on a card next Friday, September 13 at Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.
We’ve been following Kelly since his amateur days, and have watched him develop into a promising young heavyweight with a hellacious punch. Heavyweight prospects are the hardest to project, and Kelly is still an infant in boxing terms. But fans love the big men, especially those capable of turning out the lights with a single blow. Kelly has definitely shown signs of possessing immense power, which could turn him into a ticket seller, with some savvy promotion. GH3 has already shown a keen eye for talent; their marketing muscle will soon be put to the test.
As for Kelly as a prospect, he’s young, big, athletic, and has a quality trainer in Barry Hunter. Hunter has experience with top-level heavyweights, having tutored Tony Thompson, so he knows that Kelly will have to be brought along slowly, especially given his late start in boxing. But the physical tools are there: size, athleticism, and freakish strength. Kelly is not the kind of guy that many people are eager to confront, in the ring or on the street. He’s got the menacing stare down pat already.
There is, of course, room for improvement. Kelly has been bombing out opponents with such ease, he’s begging for some rounds against a quality opponent. In four professional fights, only his most recent opponent, Rayshawn Meyers, has made it out of the first round. Meyers actually gave Kelly some good work before succumbing to a Howitzer of a right hand in the third round. Aside from that, Kelly has barely been tested his removing his headgear.
Finding quality opponents has been a big part of the problem, as no one is eager to fight a beast like Kelly without adequate compensation. Part of the benefit signing with a promoter like GH3 is having someone invest in Kelly’s career, particularly in terms of finding opponents early on. GH3 already has one fight on the books for Kelly next week, and word is they will be looking to stage a card in the DMV area featuring their three local prospects at some point in mid-October.
That would be a smart move, given the thriving local fight scene, and we’re not going to complain about anyone planning to stage fights in our backyard either. It’s not hard to imagine future cards featuring these three fighters drawing thousands of fans in D.C., and eventually ending up on ESPN or another cable channel. In the meantime, signing with GH3 should give Kelly some additional motivation and the resources to focus on boxing, and that’s undoubtedly a good thing.
Of the three prospects signed with GH3, Odom probably has the highest ceiling in our view. Douglas was the most proven amateur, so his potential can’t be underrated either. But Kelly is the heavyweight, and as such, has headliner written all over him. We expect to see him featuring in main event nearby within a year at the most. If they can find someone willing to stand in his way.
