The force be with Kelly in London

Josh Kelly has a date for making a breakthrough at world level.

The Sunderland boxer looks set to fight on the much-anticipated re-match between Tony Bellew and David Haye.

Kelly was due to take on a world top 30 opponent on the undercard of Bellew-Haye 2 on Sunday, December 17 at the O2, London, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

An injury to Haye forced the show to be scrapped but Eddie Hearn has announced the new date for the heavyweight showdown as Saturday, May 5.

Kelly’s trainer, Adam Booth, is in a hurry to move the 23-year-old to the top and Hearn has backed the policy.

The classy Ryhope boxer will fight next Wednesday in London – a 10-round international battle with the vastly-experienced and durable Frenchman Jean Michel Hamilcaro at the York Hall where Katie Taylor makes the maiden defence of her WBA world title.

A victory in only his fifth pro contest at the famous Bethnal Green venue will take him up the welterweight ladder but the Sky pay-per-view date in May could lift him into the stratosphere.

Meanwhile, the verbal jousting has begun between Bellew and Haye with the winner of the last meeting targeting Tyson Fury too.

“I now have a very clear plan for 2018,” said Bellew. “That is to knock out David Haye and then knock out Tyson ‘Stavros Flatley’ Fury and end both their careers.”