josh Kelly stops Flavius Biea inside opening round at Utilita Arena Newcastle to deliver statement victory boxrec wiki fight highlights

Josh Kelly destroys Flavius Biea inside opening round

Published On Saturday, June 7, 2025By Tim Rickson
Related Tags: Josh Kelly, Cyrus Pattinson, Matty Harris, Ben Marksby, Niall Brown, Codie Smith, JHon Ingram, Dan Toward, Tom Welland, Lucas Roehrig, Flavius Biea, Lee Rogers

Josh Kelly stops Flavius Biea inside opening round at Utilita Arena to deliver statement victory

Big wins also for Welland, Toward and Brown on Wasserman Boxing card, June 6, in Newcastle

In the super welterweight main event, Josh Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KOs) faced Flavius Biea (24-2, 12 KOs) in arguably the most important fight of his career.

"Pretty Boy" Kelly started brightly, letting his hands go in combinations from the off.

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He looked confident and composed, using fast feet to back up when Biea threw a left hook.

Then he landed three left hooks - one to head, two to body.  He used his jab to line Biea up, behind a Philly Shell stance. Biea was able to land a left hook that grazed Kelly's head midway through the opener, as the Sunderland star was midway through a pivot.

Then, Kelly exploded into a powerful, beautifully timed left hook that sent Biea wobbling to the canvas. The Romanian took his time getting back to his feet, but he was too unsteady to continue, so referee Reece Carter waived the fight off at 2:03 in the first round.

“PBK” was on a different level to his opponent, despite the European experiencing over 300 amateur bouts.

It's 31-year-old's third first-round KO, but most importantly, the former Olympian delivered the statement win he promised he would, to send a warning to the rest of his British rivals in and around super-welterweight.

J’Hon Ingram vs Tatenda Mangombe

J’Hon Ingram (7-0, 5 KOs) vs Tatenda Mangombe (3-16-1, 0 KOs) in the lightweight division was the final fight of the night, taking place after the main event.

Ingram landed a heavy one-two combination that dropped Mangombe, who was unable to beat the count, awarding the American a second-round TKO victory.

Lee Rogers vs Charles Tondo

Lee Rogers (5-0, 1 KO) vs Charles Tondo (16-9-3, 7 KOs) took place in the super bantamweight division.

Rogers boxed well throughout the six-rounder, ending each stanza strongly and rocking Tondo, who did well to absorb the big shots. The Newcastle fighter consistently beat his opponent to the punch, earning a 60-54 points win to move up to 5-0.

Codie Smith vs Mario Valenzuela Portillo

In the lightweight division, it was Codie Smith (6-0-1, 0 KOs) vs Mario Valenzuela Portillo (8-9-2, 2 KOs). The Yorkshire native controlled the fight, winning 60-54 on the referee’s scorecard.

Cyrus Pattinson vs Joe Garside

Following the Josh Kelly vs Flavius Biea main event, popular Newcastle fighter Cyrus Pattinson (8-1, 5 KOs) faced Joe Garside (8-2-3, 0 KOs) in the welterweight division.

Garside showed bravery throughout, but the power and accuracy came from "Cyrus the Virus".

A nasty cut opened above Garside’s left eye after an accidental clash of heads, which Pattinson then targeted with right hooks thereafter.

Garside turned his back after a big body shot, prompting a count from the referee, and in round five, the towel came in from Garside’s corner, awarding Pattinson a TKO victory.

Tom Welland vs Reuquen Cona Facundo Arce

It was the featherweights up next, with Tom Welland (9-0, 5 KOs) vs Reuquen Cona Facundo Arce (18-20-2, 7 KOs) taking centre stage. Welland put his shots together impressively throughout the fight, with Arce having limited success. Welland stuck to his task well and had notable success when he threw the left hook. Arce landed two horrendously late punches after the bell, claiming not to have heard the bell. Although not a classic, Welland secured the win, with the referee scoring it 59-55.

Niall Brown vs Matt McCallum

On the Josh Kelly vs Flavius Biea undercard, it was the middleweight division next, Niall Brown (15-0, 5 KOs) faced Matt McCallum (8-5, 1 KO). Brown was dominant for much of the fight as he showed poise and accuracy with all his punches. McCallum showed bravery and had his moments, but Brown produced an impressive performance and looks set to move on to bigger tests. The referee’s scorecard read 78-75.

Dan Toward vs Connor Goulding

Dan Toward (6-1, 5 KOs) vs Connor Goulding (5-4, 0 KOs) in the super welterweight division was next. Toward, who lost his last fight, returned to winning ways, defeating Goulding by fifth-round TKO, landing a heavy right hook to end the fight in style.

Matty Harris vs Dan Garber

It was the turn of the heavyweights next, as Matty Harris (9-1, 6 KOs) faced Dan Garber (9-6, 2 KOs). After a pedestrian but dominant opening three rounds, Harris increased the tempo, scoring knockdowns in rounds four and five while landing big body shots. He could have pushed for the stoppage but appeared content to get the rounds in. The referee’s scorecard read 60-52 in favour of Harris.

Ben Marksby vs Nicolas Ariel Blanco

Next up was time for the super lightweights, with Ben Marksby (12-0, 2 KO) facing Nicolas Ariel Blanco (12-4-0, 1 KO). Marksby dominated throughout, scoring a knockdown in round two before upping the tempo in the third, where he scored two more knockdowns, prompting the referee to wave the fight off. An impressive finish from the Darlington fighter, winning by third-round TKO.

Lucas Roehrig vs Sofiane Quoit

In the opening fight of the night, blue-chip prospect Lucas Roehrig (5-0, 2 KOs) faced Sofiane Quoit (7-4-2, 2 KOs) in the cruiserweight division. It was a dominant performance from the Londoner as he mixed his shots well and dominated the distance and tempo with his jab. Quoit was brave and had his moments, but the poise and shot selection from Roehrig was impressive. The official scorecard read 60-54 for Lucas Roehrig.