Josh Kelly: I can't wait to fight in front of Sunderland people in my hometown on Saturday

On Saturday night, I will bring to an end a decade-long wait, writes Sunderland boxer Josh Kelly in his exclusive column for The Echo.

At the Beacon of Light, in front of my people, I fight in Sunderland for the first time as a professional and the first time since I won a national amateur title in 2013. I can’t wait.

I came face-to-face with my opponent, Placido Ramirez, for the first time yesterday, at the pre-fight press conference, which was held at the Stadium of Light. We posed for the cameras at pitchside, on the same spot from where I spoke to the Sunderland fans at half-time during Tuesday night’s game with Leeds.

What a win, by the way, and what a buzz it was to be interviewed by the club in front of the best fans in the world. The experience simply whetted my appetite for staging a big fight there next summer but, first, I must take care of business this weekend.

Ramirez is confident and spoke like a man who is coming to win. That is music to my ears because the more confident my opponent is, the greater the risk, and the greater the level of my performance. I plan on putting on a display that makes a statement.

I’ll head into the ring, around 10pm on Saturday, driven on by my hometown fans, motivated by what is potentially on the horizon in 2024 but also inspired by my trip to a local amateur gym earlier this week. I paid a visit to Sunderland Golden Gloves, a club run by my friend Richie Dunn, but one that is under threat of closure because of lack of funding.

It was a privilege to meet some of the young amateurs, for whom the club means so much, and I am honoured to have helped them out with a donation, along with my promoter Wasserman Boxing. This city means everything to me and it’s been amazing to be back here this week.

I know I will produce a performance that every one of you, either in the venue or watching on DAZN, will be proud of. Take care and see some of you tomorrow, Josh.