Quinn vs Kelsall Predictions: Conor and Conner battle for honour
New Queensberry signing Conor Quinn makes his promotional debut this Friday, June 28 against Conner Kelsall. The vacant Commonwealth flyweight title will be on the line at the SSE Arena in Belfast. The fight takes place on the undercard of Pierce O’Leary’s super lightweight clash with Darragh Foley. TNT Sports 1 will televise the action.
Here are my Quinn vs Kelsall predictions ahead of this battle of the forenames.
Beyond their almost-identical monikers, there are a lot of similarities between the two fighters here. Both boast unbeaten records, though Quinn did suffer an early-career draw against ever-present journeyman Darwing Martinez.
They are just a year apart in age, with Quinn the elder at 26. They are both chasing the biggest title of their careers in this fight, having captured regional titles previously. Kelsall is the English divisional champion while Quinn has held the Celtic belt.
This is a nicely-matched fight, with both men brave for taking it. At their age and experience level, a few more learning fights would have been forgivable before taking on a close fight like this. But each man is wagering their undefeated ledger in pursuit of a greater prize.
The Commonwealth title is a prestigious championship in an era where there are too many useless and spurious belts polluting the landscape. Two young fighters putting it all on the line in order to capture one of boxing’s great traditions is refreshing to see and should make for a fun fight.
A cursory look at the records of the two men gives you an idea of the rhythm this fight might take. Quinn has six knockouts from his nine victories so far whereas Kelsall’s record features just the single stoppage in 11 wins.
Kelsall works behind a long, rangy jab. He has the handspeed to let combinations fly when an opponent gets into range, but in general he likes to keep matters at distance. Hit and don’t get hit is the credo here.
Quinn is like a whirlwind. ‘The Magnificent’ likes to close the distance and wing shots in at speed. They are precise punches too, educated rather than wild. There is technique to his work even at high-speed.
A picture of the fight begins to take shape as you take these facts into account. Kelsall will look to settle at long-range, popping in jabs until the time comes to open up. Quinn will come forward looking to cut off the ring and get his punches connecting on the inside. It is a classic styles-match and one that could make for a thrilling fight.
Quinn is the favourite in this one, with odds of 4/9 for a victory. Kelsall is a live underdog at 7/4 while you can get 14/1 on this one ending in a draw. The latter is not out of the realms of possibility in this one. If Kelsall can keep him off but takes some damage in the process, I could see a possible stalemate here.
Quinn vs Kelsall Full Card
Pierce O'Leary vs. Darragh Foley; For O'Leary's WBC International super lightweight championship
Conor Quinn vs. Conner Kelsall; For the vacant Commonwealth flyweight championship
Colm Murphy vs. Jack Turner; Featherweight
James McGivern vs. Rashid Omar; Lightweight
Jadier Herrera vs. Andres Navarrete; Super featherweight
Nelson Birchall vs. Kevin Trana; Super featherweight
Steven Cairns vs. Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira; Lightweight
Nicola Barke vs. Kerry Haley; Super lightweight
Jack Turner vs. Darwing Martinez; Bantamweight
Eoaghan Lavin vs. Artjom Spatar; Super welterweight
Joe Cooper vs. TBA; Super welterweight
Walter Fury vs.Vasif Mamedov; Super welterweight
Quinn vs Kelsall Prediction
I can see this fight going one of two ways. Either Kelsall keeps it at range successfully and spends his evening picking Quinn off. Or alternatively, Quinn finds his way through the Kelsall jab and secures a stoppage with his inside-fighting.
I am going for the latter. I think Quinn will crown his Queensberry debut with a knockout win after finding a way through Kelsall’s fine technique. Once ‘The Magnificent’ lets his hands go, he usually hurts people. I am backing him to do that here and win the Commonwealth title via stoppage at 13/8.
You can find all our latest boxing betting tips and analysis at our Betfred Insights Boxing page
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