Kevin Kelley (boxer) facts for kids

Kevin Philip Kelley, born on June 29, 1967, is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing matches from 1988 to 2009. Kevin Kelley was a champion, holding the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title from 1993 to 1995. He was known for his exciting fights and powerful punches.

Early Boxing Days: Amateur Career

Before becoming a professional, Kevin Kelley had a strong amateur boxing career. He won two New York Golden Gloves Championships. These are very important boxing tournaments for amateur fighters.

• In 1985, he won the 119-pound Sub-Novice Championship.
• In 1986, he won the 119-pound Open Championship.

In 1988, Kevin Kelley reached the finals of the 125-pound Open division. However, he got injured and could not fight in the final match. His opponent, Fred Liberatore, was then declared the champion. Kelley also competed in the Olympic box-offs, where he lost to Carl Daniels. His amateur record was 70 wins and 5 losses.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Kevin Kelley started his professional boxing journey in 1988. He quickly became known as "The Flushing Flash." This nickname came from Flushing, Queens, where he grew up.

Winning the WBC Featherweight Title

Kelley achieved a major goal in 1993 when he won the WBC Featherweight title. He earned this championship by defeating Gregorio Vargas in a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed that Kelley won the fight.

He successfully defended his title for a while. However, he lost it to Alejandro Martín González from Mexico. Kelley could not continue the fight after the 10th round because both of his eyes were swollen shut.

Big Fights and Famous Opponents

After losing his title, Kevin Kelley signed a contract with HBO, a major television network. This allowed him to be part of many big boxing events. He was known for being in exciting fights, even if he didn't always win them.

Kelley faced some of the biggest names in boxing. These included Prince Naseem Hamed, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales. These fights happened later in his career.

The Fight Against Naseem Hamed

One of Kevin Kelley's most memorable fights was against Naseem Hamed in 1997. This was Hamed's first fight in the United States. The match took place at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was a very exciting fight, even named "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine.

In this match, both boxers were knocked down multiple times. Hamed eventually won by knockout in the fourth round. This fight was so famous that it was ranked among the "100 Greatest Sporting Moments" in 2002.

Kelley also fought Derrick Gainer. He knocked out Gainer in 1996, but Gainer later won a rematch in 1998.

Later Career Fights

In 2006, Kevin Kelley fought Bobby Pacquiao and lost by knockout. Later that year, he had a great performance against Carlos Hernández. Kelley won this fight by unanimous decision, surprising many people. Hernández announced his retirement right after this match.

Kelley continued to fight, but he lost a close decision to Manuel Medina in 2006. His last professional fight was in 2009.

Life After Boxing

After retiring from boxing, Kevin Kelley started a new chapter. He now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a co-host on "The Sucker Punch Show" with Colin Gates. This show interviews many famous boxers like Roy Jones Jr. and Errol Spence Jr.

During his boxing career, Kelley also worked as a boxing commentator for HBO. He was the main host for HBO's show called KO Nation. This show was a boxing broadcast that mixed in hip-hop music and culture.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Kevin Kelley had a long and exciting professional boxing career. Here is a quick look at his record: