Billy "Spider" Kelly (21 April 1932 – 7 May 2010) was a
boxer from
Derry,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
whose career highlight was winning the
Commonwealth (
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
)
featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Boxing
Professional boxing
History
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, t ...
title in 1954. He went on to win the
British featherweight title in 1955.
History
Billy Kelly was born 21 April 1932 in Derry, Northern Ireland. He was the eldest of ten children of Jimmy Kelly, boxer and taxi driver, and his wife Kathleen. Billy Kelly was educated at Long Tower primary school.
Billy started his professional career in 1950, at the age of 18. On 2 October 1954, Kelly won the Commonwealth featherweight title, by out-pointing Roy Ankrah over 15 rounds. On 22 January 1955, Kelly received the British Featherweight title, by out-pointing Sammy McCarthy.
Kelly continued to box until 1962 and finished with a career record of 56 wins, 24 defeats and four draws from 84 professional bouts.
Billy 'Spider' Kelly died on 7 May 2010, at the age of 78.
On 15 August 2014, the city of Derry honoured Billy Kelly and his father by unveiling a plaque, which was dedicated to the memory of the boxers.
References
External links
Billy "Spider" Kellyat
BoxRec
1932 births
2010 deaths
Male boxers from Northern Ireland
Featherweight boxers
Sportspeople from Derry (city)
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