Senan Kelly ‘disappointed’ he had to take it handy

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again Senan Kelly [2(1)-0] loves a knockout.

The new to the game pro didn’t manage to secure one in his second pro fight, but considering the circumstances surrounding his Celtic Clash 10 bout that is more than understandable.

The aggressive welter took to the ring nursing a hand injury and was instructed to take his medicine and jab his way through the clash.

However, the Leixlip native didn’t follow doctors or coaching and couldn’t resist letting it go. The risk looked to reap reward early on when he dropped Josue Bendana in the first round.

However, the Nicaraguan recovered, Kelly’s hand deteriorated and the fight went to the cards.

The Boxing Ireland secured a perfectly acceptable shut out points wins, particularly considering the circumstances, yet still he lamented not getting the job done early.

“It’s a bit disappointing I would have liked to get him out,” Kelly told Irish-boxing.com after the fight.

“I wanted to try and put him away when I dropped him in the first, but when he got back up I knew he was tough and wasn’t one of those journey men you can blow away,” he adds before explaining the extent to which his hand was hurt.

“My hand went. I have grade 2 torn ligament in my right hand. It happened on December 2 and I only sparred twice the whole camp. It went in the warm up and I said ‘right I am just going to have to win this on the jab’.

“Still I couldn’t stop myself throwing it. I hurt him a few times with it, but it hurt me too. It wasn’t too bad throwing hooks, but as soon as I threw right the hand went. If you look at the last round I didn’t throw a right hand at all. When the hand went I knew I had to stick to the jab and left hooks,” he continues before under pressure from his sister he tries to look on the bright side.

“I suppose I’ll learn and I got rounds in.”

It soon becomes apparent that positive maybe even sensible outlook is a sibling pleasing front.

The Pete Taylor trained welter is in recovery mode, but wants his hand to heal so he can use it to be destructive again rather just to be able to compete.

“I just want to get the hand better and start blowing them out again. I have to let the hand rest, get back and hammer them out again.”

The injury may hamper plans to get back out again quickly. Kelly claims he is unaware as to when the right hand will be back in action. The plan now is just to let recover.

“I got an MRI on it I’ll see what the physio says, it’s a grade 2 torn ligament so ever long that takes. I don’t want to get in and make it worse. I’ll train with one hand, but I won’t fight.”