‘At the Moment it’s a No’ – Kelly Wants to Wait Before Taking on ‘Different Level’ Molloy
Senan Kelly believes the correct career moves would be to wait and to do it at the right weight when it comes to a Kieran Molloy Irish title fight.
The Leixlip prospect is one of a number of fighters Conlan Boxing have been looking at as a possible Irish title opponent for the former amateur standout.
Indeed, they tried to make a BUI Celtic title fight between Kelly and Dave Ryan and planned to offer the winner a welterweight Irish title fight with the Galway fighter.
Clare’s Ryan had to pull out of the title fight with a hand injury and the plan is now to try and make a fight with the winner of Owen O’Neill and Declan Geraghty‘s Irish title fight.
Regardless, Kelly says he was never going to fight Molloy at welterweight and suggested he probably wouldn’t take a bout with the EU medal winner at this stage.
The 27-year-old says he would think about a light welterweight fight with the Top Rank fighter right now – but rather honestly admits his best chance to beat the fancied prospect is to wait.
“They were putting me in with Dave Ryan at welterweight and then the winner was meant to fight Kieran Molloy,” the Pete Taylor-trained fighter says.
“Look Kieran Molloy is doing the same thing I’m doing, he’s making light middleweight then when the belt comes along he will come down to welterweight. What I do is make welterweight and when the belt comes along I’m down to junior welterweight. It’s the same reason you don’t want to kill yourself to make weight for all these journeymen.
“When I was being linked to [Molloy] I was like ‘lovely I’m being linked to a great name’ and I do think he’s a great youngfella but it’s not at the right weight. Now if he was a junior welterweight fighter happy days but it’s not at the right weight.”
The lighter of the two fighters also believes he may be a bit light on experience in comparison to Molloy. In a very open and honest fashion, the Kildare man admits he may need a little more time to reach his peak and make it a fair fight.
“He’s a very good name. Maybe down the line I’d consider [doing it at welter] but I class him up there and at the moment. I feel he has the beatings of me, but let’s see two or three years down the line. I’m only getting better and better and I’m taking this very seriously. This is my career, so we’ll see down the line but at the moment it’s a no.
“I just feel he’s at a different level compared to me. He’s done a lot, progressed through the amateur ranks and he’s never had a shoulder injury. I’ve been out for a long time, I’m only getting back into it now. I’m still getting momentum going. Let’s see were we are at in a few years.”
