Tag Archives: smith

Posted on 01/12/2020

By: Sean Crose

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City hosted a Top Rank promoted, ESPN aired card on Saturday that featured light heavyweight contenders Jesse Hart and Joe Smith in a scheduled ten rounder. With the winner inching closer to a major title shot, there was a lot on the line for each action oriented fighter walking in. Smith’s claim to fame was literally knocking the great Bernard Hopkins into retirement. Hart, on the other hand, was being presented as an avenging angel from Hopkins’ native Philadelphia. Although not a major matchup, it was a solid, mid level affair between two fighters of note. It was a good bout to ring in 2020 with.

First up, the 15-0 super middleweight Steve Nelson faced the 14-0 Cem Kilic in a scheduled 10 round bout. The first round was rather uneventful, but Nelson was landing cleaner. The second round saw Nelson looking the bit sharper of the two. The third was essentially the same in that Kilic was slow in pulling the Trigger. The fourth may have been a bit more competitive, though it would have been hard not to give the chapter to Nelson. Nelson continued along in the fifth. 

By the sixth it was obvious that Kilic would have no chance of winning if he didn’t start landing clean. The seventh saw Nelson really taking it to his man. Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt wisely stood up on the ring and waved the fight off in the eighth.  The beating Kilic was receiving at that point was simply too unrelenting and consistent.   
It was time for the main event. Smith entered the ring with a 24-3 record. Hart boasted a record of 26-2. Smith was the aggressor  in the first while Hart circled the ring. Smith hurt his man a bit late in the second, though Hart didn’t go down. Hart began to connect in the third. Smith, quite simply  started beating Hart up in the fourth. Hart had no answer for Smith’s aggression in the fifth. Smith kept up his attack in the sixth.

Smith dropped his man in the seventh. Hart got up, and was saved by the bell. Hart was able to land a bit in the eighth. The ring doctor checked out a Hart cut in the ninth, but allowed Hart to continue. The final round saw Smith grind along as he had the entire fight. Smith was simply the stronger man of the two. The judges  gave Smith the SD win.
Smith now finds himself on track for a light heavyweight title shot.

Posted on 01/10/2020

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in  AtlanticCity, New Jersey will be the host site for Top Rank Promotions next televised fight card on ESPN.

Jesse Hart, a Philadelphia native, will look to avenge a loss that Joe Smith Jr. gave to Bernard Hopkins before he retired in December of 2016.

Both boxers are in the title hunt in the light heavyweight division and a win on Saturday could lead to a title shot in the near future. 

The co-main event will likely be a super middleweight bout between Steve Nelson and Cem KIlic.

Other boxers on the undercard include Joseph and Jeremy Adorno, Chris Thomas, Sonny Conto, and Shinard Bunch.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.

Steve Nelson (15-0) vs. Cem Kilic (14-0); Super Middleweights

The co-feature of the night will be a fight between two undefeated Super Middleweights who are hoping for a title shot in the near future.

Steve Nelson is thirty one years old and in the middle of his athletic prime.  He is six years older than his opponent, CemKilic.  

Kilic will have about a two inch height advantage, but will be giving up about four inches in reach.  Kilic is a former Turkish and German National Champion as an amateur while Nelson was a former US National Champ.

Both boxers have moderate power.  Kilic has stopped nine of his opponents while Nelson has stopped twelve of his.  

They have have been fairly active.  Kilic fought twice in 2019, three times in 2018, and three times in 2017.  He has beaten the likes of Martez McGregor, DeAndre Ware, and Joe Amouta.  

Nelson has fought three times in 2019, 2018, and in 2017.  He has defeated the likes of Derrick Findley, Felipe Romero, Oscar Riojas, and DeShon Webster. 

This is a close fight to pick, as neither fighter has truly been tested.  Nelson does train alongside Terence Crawford and was a US Olympic Alternate.  To this writer, those facts gives Nelson a slight edge over Kilic. 

Jesse Hart (26-2) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (24-3); Light Heavyweights

Joe Smith’s biggest victory to date was a stunning defeated of the legendary Bernard Hopkins.  Hopkins happens to be from Philadelphia, the same city as Jesse Hart, who vows to avenge that loss for Hopkins when he faces Smith.

Both boxers are thirty years old and in their athletic prime.  Hart will have about a three inch height advantage over the Joe Smith.  

Jesse Hart has been the more active fighter of the two.  He competed once in 2019, four times in 2018, and twice in 2017.  Smith only fought once in 2019, once in 2018, and once in 2017.  

Both boxers are known for their active and fan friendly styles.  Hart has 21 stoppages on his resume while Smith has 20.  Hart has never been stopped in his career while Smith was stopped once.

Hart also has an edge in amateur experience.  He is a former US National Champ and a Golden Gloves champ.  Smith has no notable amateur experience.  

Jesse Hart has defeated the likes of Sullivan Barrera, Mike Gavronski, Demond Nicholson, Alan Campa, and Mike Jimenez.  His losses were two close defeats to Gilberto Ramirez.

Smith has defeated the likes of Bernard Hopkins, AndrzejFonfara, and Will Rosinsky.  His losses were to Dmitry Bivoland Sullivan Barrera.

Jesse Hart is from Philadelphia and Joe Smith Jr. is from Long Island, so Atlantic City will likely be packed with fans of both.  This fight looks like it will be an entertaining one to watch, but the amateur experience as well as the edge in recent activity has to make Jesse Hart the favorite in this fight. 

Posted on 11/23/2019

By: Sean Crose

Callum Smith may have been regarded as the big dog in the super middleweight division, perhaps even bigger than fellow titlist Canelo Alvarez. Yet if Saturday’s performance against the largely unknown John Ryder is any indication, the assertions may have been a bit short sighted. While it’s true every fighter is entitled to a bad night every so often, Ryder gave the champion all he could handle. Some are even suggesting that it was Ryder, not Smith, who should have been awarded the victory by the judges after the bell at the final round. Still, it was Smith who got the decision win in front of his hometown of Liverpool, England, improving his record to 27-0.

Photo Credit : Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

It was a night Smith won’t soon forget, however. Ryder asserted himself right off the bat in round one by attacking Smith’s body while the much taller defending champion tried to find his range. Ryder continued to impress in the second, crouching in a style reminiscent of Dempsey and Frazier, while Smith managed to land some shots. Smith became more assertive in the third, as his fists started to find their mark. By the fourth round, however, it was Ryder’s body shots that were telling the tale. Smith began well enough in the fifth, but straight, accurate punching from Ryder undid much of Smith’s good work. Although slow to pull the trigger, the champion was able to punch effectively in a sixth round punctuated by a hard right.

The aggressive Ryder made the seventh a grinding affair, though Smith’s hard, steady work may have told the tale. Ryder did well in the eighth, though Smith may have done a bit better. By the ninth, Smith was no longer slow to pull the trigger. He was firing regularly, especially with his jab, and that was ultimately telling the tale. The tenth was close, but Ryder was appearing to slow down a bit in his still relentless forward movement. Ryder effectively bulled his way through a strong eleventh round. The twelfth saw Ryder slugging his way to edge the round. The judges, of course (this is boxing, after all) gave the victory to Smith by a comfortable margin, bringing Ryder’s overall record to 28-5. BoxingInsider had it a draw.

If there was one thing fans and analysts could take away from the fight, it’s that Ryder is a serious force to be reckoned with at supermiddleweight. Short, stocky, muscular, and gruellingly aggressive, the London native had won four in a row by stoppage before Saturday night’s throwdown with Smith for Smith’s WBA title. What’s more, there were several times late in the fight where it looked like he might have had the rising star from Liverpool on the verge of being seriously hurt. Team Smith, on the other hand, will probably see a need for growth after Saturday’s performance. For too much of the fight, the defending champion had left himself too easy a target. He had also allowed Ryder to push him around for a considerable portion of the bout.

Posted on 11/22/2019

By: Sean Crose

Liverpool M&S Bank Arena will host Saturday’s scheduled 12 round showdown between WBA super middleweight titlist Callum Smith and fellow Brit John Ryder. Smith is highly regarded, with a record of twenty-six wins and no losses. With victories over the likes of George Groves and Hassan N’Dam, Smith is also considered a man who can face some of the sport’s bigger challenges. What’s more, Smith himself is more than willing to step up to the figurative plate. “I believe I’m the No 1 in that (super middleweight) division,” Smith is recently quoted as saying by Sky Sports, “so he’ll have to come and beat me to take that place”

Photo Credit: Joe Gallagher Twitter Account

It’s easy to guess who Smith was referring to in the above quote. For Canelo Alvarez jumped up to super middleweight and snagged a title for himself by besting Rocky Fielding late last year. Not that Smith is relying on a fight with Canelo to define himself and his career. “I’m not going to waste my career waiting for a fight that might never happen,” Smith added. “If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t, there’s still plenty of other big fights.” Some of those other fights may include the likes of fellow champions David Benavidez, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, as Smith has indicated a willingness to unify the super middleweight division.

“That’s what I want,” Smith told Sky, “to collect as many belts as I can. To cement myself as the best on the planet.” Still, though, there’s the matter of London’s Ryder, who Smith is going to face this weekend. Although he’s clearly an underdog, the 28-4 fighter is getting a title shot in a year where upsets are in the air. “”It’s a massive opportunity for him,” Sky quotes Smith as saying of his opponent. “He’ll have had the best training camp he’s ever had and he’ll be coming to give it his all.”

Although he doesn’t have the most prestigious resume, the 31 year old Ryder is riding – pardon the pun – a four fight winning streak that began back in 2017 when he knocked out Patrick Nielson at Wembley. Although he’s viewed as essentially being a tuneup for a rising star, Ryder has taken to knocking opponents out on a regular basis since losing to Rocky Fielding in 2017 by split decision.

Yet Smith and Ryder aren’t the only attractions on Saturday’s card – which will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service. The 10-1-0 Anthony Fowler will be facing the 8-0 Harry Scarff for the World Boxing Association International Super Welterweight Title, which is currently vacant, in a scheduled 10 rounder. James Tennyson, who some may remember being stopped by Tevin Farmer back in 2018, will also be on the card. The 25-3 fighter will be stepping in the ring to face the 20-2-2 Craig Evans in a 12 round lightweight affair.

Although the undercard isn’t stellar and the main event is expected to be one sided, Saturday’s Smith-Ryder card can be seen as something of a tuneup in its own right, as it will air several hours before the heavyweight title pay per view fight between Deontay Wilder, and Luis Ortiz.

Posted on 06/28/2019

By: Oliver McManus

MTK Global touched down in Glasgow on Saturday evening having produced a scintillating card at Ulster Hall, Belfast, just 24 hours previously; Steven Ward vs Liam Conroy an early contender for fight of the year, in case you haven’t caught it. Two title fights topped the shortened seven fight card that had been bereft with injuries and late withdrawals; nonetheless Lee McGregor vs Scott Allan and Kieran Smith vs Ivan Montero were enough to pique interest.

McGregor, the Commonwealth bantamweight champion, was making the first defence of the title he won in October (a 12th round KO over Thomas Essomba) whilst Allan came into the fight having outpointed Gary Rae for the Celtic equivalent, also in October. McGregor had already made clear his intention to chase a showdown with, British champion, Kash Farooq should he emerge victorious.

Animosity brewed between the two men before the contest and they both set out looking to take the centre ground. Allan, significantly the smaller man, looked in fantastic shape and marched forward with gusto whilst McGregor looked to tee off with heavy shots from the inside; a couple of uppercuts finding their mark early on. McGregor, trained by Grant Smith, was making the most of his stockier frame but Allan was undeterred by any such disadvantage and was keen to keep McGregor alert from the off.

The long limbs of the champion enabled him to box from distance and out of Allan’s reach – despite the shuffles and feints from the challenger – but both found it hard to resist getting involved in a skirmish and would find each other, again, at the centre of the ring. Mini trade offs took place within rounds as both men unloaded on brusque swinging hooks and the encounter was enthralling from round one.

Allan, to his credit, was eager to take the fight to the 1/10 favourite and was making himself elusive thanks to effective head movement and a constant shuffle of his front foot; McGregor struggled with finding his range on occasion thanks to footwork of his opponent. Indeed the challenger was able to pick his punches well when dipping inside and landed two accurate, if not telling, uppercuts in the third round.

Despite such odds being available beforehand you couldn’t separate either man in the first third of the fight as Allan fought, seemingly, without pressure – light on his feet and willing to step into range in order to fire in some shots of his own. McGregor, you felt, was doing enough to pip the rounds and, once he decided that it was best to fight from distance, began to look more measured in his approach. The temptation in a fight with high tensions is always to get involved in a brawl but that carrot disappeared after a few rounds with McGregor willing to go back to basics. The same could not be said for Allan, however, who was finding success in the scrappier phases of the fight and moved around McGregor well to continually open up angles.

With the fifth round dwindling and Allan gaining a foothold, McGregor looked to go after his man and was firing in punches with real conviction – slamming shots into the body of his counterpart and sapping away the energy. As soon as Allan showed he was hurting there was an undeniable burst of torrid aggression from McGregor who was gung-ho and care-free in his pursuit of the finish.

That looked to be a turning point for the 22 year old who emerged in the sixth round with a renewed fire in his belly and he did well to remain composed; dangling the left hand around waist high and remaining fluid with his movement. Allan, too, regained his focus and responded well with the lead left leg control the distance between both men and resulting in a round where McGregor was unable to capitalise on the frailties of his opponent.

The Celtic champion, aged 26, was proving to be far more than just an “underdog” with great resolve to bide himself the time to recover and an apt shot selection that was garnering him success. He was taking rounds off the pre-fight favourite on merit and leaving McGregor in two minds as to which strategy to pursue: calm from distance or look for the finish in a brawl. It must be said, though, McGregor remained at ease throughout the fight and was confident his more precise work-load was seeing him collect rounds. Allan’s pot-shots were landing with regularity, mind, as he took the seventh round with some eye-catching counter punches.

You suspect, though, that Allan required more sustained spells of success in order to start procuring the rounds necessary for victory and it was, in likelihood, the more prolific body of work from McGregor that was seeing him through the contest. A body shot, catching Allan on the left side, dropped his challenger despite protests and, once more, he began to tee-off on his opponent; Allan’s body began to droop and Victor Loughlin had seen enough. All over in the eighth in a thoroughly enjoyable encounter.

Initially scheduled to face Michael McGurk, Kieran Smith found himself facing a tricky Mexican challenger in the form of Ivan Montero. Montero (21-3) is a veteran of the sport having been a professional for eight years with fights against Michel Soro and Erickson Lubin; McGurk, meanwhile, won the WBC International Silver title against Evaldas Korsakas (another late notice replacement) in November and has stayed busy by beating Jan Balog in March. Three fights on the trot where McGurk has had to face a replacement opponent but, still, a chance to get a reasonable scalp on his resumé.

The pace was bouncy from the off with McGurk, fighting from the southpaw stance, looking to lurch in and attack the body of his shorter opponent. Montero kept a cautious guard with the hands perched loftily around his head but having sought to land a shot of his own Smith was able to land a decent right hand to the Mexican’s cheek. Montero was down on three occasions in the first round, all ruled a slip, and he seemed to struggle to find any sort of comfortable rhythm. Smith looked in control from the outset, rolling his shoulders as they stood opposite each other and continually moving to ensure Montero couldn’t hold ground.

Both men were listed as 6”2’ but it was the home fighter who carried the height advantage and he was visibly punching downwards over the opening phases. Fighting on the outside, like a true southpaw, he seemed comfortable in allowing the jab to pick Montero off while Montero looked to engage in a machismo stand-off – who will blink first. Smith refused to be drawn into such tactics and was persistent in looking to target the body of Montero; his opponent was astute at dipping his legs to prompt a change in levels from Smith.

Montero was more rugged and less thought out than the home fighter and he was brash in lunging in, often missing the mark by some distance, whilst Smith fought on a tether – restrained to begin with and gradually loosening up as the fight progressed. Significant shots landed to boost his confidence and you could feel a relaxation as the fight hit the halfway stage. A clash of heads in the fourth round stirred the spirits and enticed Montero forward as he encroached on the territory of Smith: nipping in when the Scot tried to throw a jab from distance.

Heads collided at the turn of the fifth round with the styles struggling to gel cohesively but, in response, Smith fought to a sharper gameplan with a focus on landing accurately as opposed to with great volume. Jostling around the ring, in response to a lackadaisical posture from Montero, he popped the right hand jab with consistency and actually landed a couple of nice straight-left’s down the gulley of his opponent. A familiar rhythm ensued with Montero unwilling to commit to any game-changing attacks of his own and Smith content to ride out risk-free advantage whilst producing occasional glimpses of his raw ability.

That was enough to prevent any enthusiasm from Montero who would visibly fatigue with each passing round, becoming sluggish and indifferent, whilst Smith stamped his authority over the contest. Not a beatdown, by any stretch, the champion grew stronger as the fight went on and began to unfurl shots with greater spit when the spirit of Montero was firmly sniffed out. A nastyy gash opened up over the bridge of the Mexican’s nose and we went to the scorecards a minute earlier than scheduled – 99-91, 99-91, 99-90. A comfortable win and a performance Smith should be pleased with, given the circumstances.

Posted on 05/31/2019

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions will bring their heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, to the United States to make his US debut and defend his titles against challenger Andy Ruiz Jr.

Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller was originally scheduled to face Joshua, but a positive steroid test forced him to withdraw from the fight and allowed for Ruiz to step up and get this opportunity.

This fight card will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be streamed live on DAZN.

The co-main event of the evening will be a WBA Super Middleweight Title fight between Callum Smith and Hassan’ N’Dam.

The undercard is also stacked and features a women’s lightweight unification title bout between Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon. Chris Algieri, Tommy Coyle, Josh Kelly, Joshua Buatsi, and Diego Pacheco are just some of the contenders that will also be competing on the undercard.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the night.

Callum Smith (25-0) vs. Hassan N’Dam (37-3); WBA Super Middleweight Title

Callum Smith is one of the best boxers out of the United Kingdom and Saturday will be the first time he fights in the United States.

Smith will have some noticeable physical advantages over N’Dam. He will have a large three and a half inch height advantage over N’Dam and he’s also six years younger than him. Both boxers have fought once in 2018 and twice in 2017.

Smith appears to be the more powerful puncher of the two. Smith has eighteen stoppages on his record in only twenty five fights while N’Dam has twenty one stoppages on his record in forty fights.

Smith has beaten the likes of George Groves, Nieky Holzken, Erik Skoglund, and Rocky Fielding. He has never been defeated as a professional.

N’Dam has lost to the likes of Peter Quillin, David Lemieux, and Ryoto Murata. He has beaten the likes of Martin Murray, Ryoto Murata, Curtis Stevens, Max Bursak, and Avtandil Khurtsidze.

Both boxers had successful amateur careers. Smith has success on the national level in Great Britain and N’Dam has competed in the 2004 and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

N’Dam has the ability to pull off an upset, as he did when he defeated Murray and Murata. But he’s coming up in weight to face a good puncher who’s significantly younger than him.

This fight is an excellent opportunity for Smith to impress the fans in the United States.

Anthony Joshua (22-0) vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.(32-1); IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Title

Anthony Joshua holds three of the four widely recognized heavyweight titles. He’s considered to be one of the, if not the, best heavyweights in the world today.

However, Saturday will be the first time he’s fighting in the United States and it’s against an opponent very few believe has a chance at beating him.

Andy Ruiz is a good fighter, he only has one loss on his record and was a former Mexican National Champion as an amateur. However, Joshua is a boxer who has never been defeated and has stopped every single one of his opponents except one. And while Ruiz was a Mexican National Champion as an amateur Joshua won the Gold Medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Joshua will have a large four inch height advantage and a very large eight inch reach advantage. They are both twenty nine years old. Joshua fought twice in 2018 and twice in 2017. Ruiz fought once in 2019, twice in 2018, and did not fight in 2017.

Joshua has beaten the likes of Povetkin, Parker, Takam, Klitschko, Molina, Breazeale, Martin, and Whyte.

Ruiz has defeated the likes of Dimitrenko, Johnson, Austin, Liakhovich, Hamer, and Hanks. He has only been beaten by Joseph Parker.

it’s hard to imagine this fight going the full twelve rounds. Ruiz has boxing skills, but he’ll be significantly undersized against a man who’s skills are just as good.

This should be an easy victory for Joshua.

Posted on 03/30/2019

By: Ste Rowen

In his first fight in Liverpool for almost three years, former WBO junior-middleweight champion, Liam Smith made easy work of Sam Eggington, stopping the former European welterweight champion in five rounds to claim the WBC ‘Silver’ belt and hopefully send a message to the rest of the 154lb division.

‘Beefy’ Smith took the front foot immediately and dominated the early rounds, sticking Eggington in reverse and a small cut that that opened up on Sam’s right eye was the early signal of Smith’s dominance. There was nothing fancy in Liam’s display but the speed of which he threw his punches and the power that went into them were clearly far too much for Eggington to keep the bout competitive. ‘The Savage’ seems to know no other way of fighting, whether on top or in adversity, Eggington wants to swing, wants to fight, but Smith was too much.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

It proved as in round five, with his opponent stuck in the corner, Smith landed power shot after power shot without reply until the referee decided enough was enough and ended the main event.
‘‘Shot wise I was good, accuracy wise I was sloppy at times, my footwork.’’ Smith, now 27-2-1 (15KOs) said post-fight. ‘‘I didn’t really have respect for Sam’s power, I put it down to that.
I had the worst camp ever, niggly injuries…Give me two fights, then give me anyone at the end of the year.’’

Having held a world title at 154lb and, losing out to Mexican Jaime Munguia for his old belt last year, the target for Liam Smith must be for another shot at the championship belts before the end of 2019.

Anthony Fowler vs. Scott Fitzgerald

A domestic dustup that promised much and certainly delivered saw Scott Fitzgerald drop Anthony Fowler en route to a split decision victory in a fantastic 10-round bout.

It slowly but surely turned into the biggest fight of the card, even overshadowing tonight’s main event, but when junior-middleweight and domestic rivals, Fowler and Fitzgerald entered the ring, the atmosphere in Liverpool was palpable.

It was an intriguing battle for the middle of the ring in the early rounds, with both fighters mirroring the other for punches thrown, although Fowler’s variety of shots seemed more likely to appeal to the judges. But Fowler, 9-0 (8KOs) heading into tonight, suffered through the middle rounds, appearing to tire as Scott began to get more efficient with his punches. Anthony unleashed a barrage of punches in the 9th that clearly affected Fitzgerald as Scott threw very little for the rest of the round.

As volume from the crowd increased, as did Fowler’s attack. The scouser began to have his hands low and felt more comfortable throwing but it wasn’t enough to get his opponent out in that particular round. With just over a minute to go of the 10th and final round, Fitzgerald unleashed a power shot selection that dropped Fowler, and as we were to find out, the 10-8 round was crucial. The final scorecards were,96-94 for Fowler and 95-94 (x2) for Fitzgerald.

Now 13-0 (9KOs) Scott spoke post-fight,

‘‘He’s a tough, big, strong man who just doesn’t stop coming forward… I could hit him with a bat he’d still keep going.
The fight with Ted (Cheeseman) can be made and after that, the rematch.’’

Fowler was magnanimous in defeat,

‘‘I went down, I wasn’t hurt but, fair play I don’t know how he was still standing in the 9th. I don’t like the kid, but he was the better man tonight.’’

David Price vs. Kash Ali

A heavyweight clash to warmup the crowd saw a truly bizarre conclusion as in the 5th round of David Price vs. Kash Ali, the two men toppled over together, and it appeared that Kash Ali bit David whilst they were on the canvas. The Liverpudlian, Price landed a heavy right hook which shook Ali, who entered the fight unbeaten as a pro, and forced him to go for the clinch which resulted in a full-blown tackle, and while Ali lay on top of Price, Kash bit David and hard enough to leave a mark on Price’s body. The official result was confirmed as victory for David Price via disqualification.

Price, now 24-6, spoke immediately after,

‘‘It’s a disappointing way to win. He was in the fight and lost his head, but I hurt him to the body…I don’t wanna share the ring with an animal like that again.
I’ve got the win and we move on. The winner of Lucas Browne and Dave Allen is a fight I’m definitely interested in.’’

Joe Hughes vs. Robbie Davies Jr

One of two super-lightweight title fights on tonight’s Liverpool card saw Joe Hughes and Robbie Davies Jr go hell-for-leather for the EBU European and British belts and in what turned into a close shoot-out over twelve rounds, Davies Jr emerged the winner, with the mixed final scorecards coming back as, 118-110 115-113 115-114 all for Davies.

Robbie, now moves to 18-1 (12KOs) and, with a swollen right eye, spoke post-fight,

‘‘Just grinded it out like you wouldn’t believe. He was like a pitbull…When you have the British and the European, people take notice.
I’m just hoping to push on for a world title now. I honestly don’t believe anyone can beat me domestically.’’

Quickfire Undercard…

Fighting for the Commonwealth super-lightweight belt, southpaw Philip Bowes improved to 20-3 (3KOs) and defended the rainbow belt for the first time since taking ownership of the title in February with a unanimous decision victory over home fighter, Tom Farrell. Final scorecards were returned as, 118-110 118-111 117-112 all for Philip but it was a lively back-and-forth, if scrappy at times, but the more composed, and measured in his punches-fighter in ‘Quicksilver’ Bowes, saw him get the nod from the judges.

Craig Glover suffered a surprise knockout defeat at the hands of the now, 14-7 Vaclav Pejsar of the Czech Republic. Glover, who impressed in his last outing with a stoppage victory over Simon Vallily, hit the canvas twice en route to a second-round stoppage loss, shifting his pro record now to 9-2 (8KOs).

Returning to the ring for the first time since her surprise first pro-defeat, Natasha Jonas, scored a 60-54 decision victory over 7-2, Feriche Mashauri. Jonas said she’s aiming for the rematch with Viviane Obenauf next.

Posted on 03/29/2019

By: Ste Rowen

On Saturday night at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, former WBO junior-middleweight champion, Liam Smith returns to the ring for the first time since his 2018 attempt to regain that same world title. His opponent is Sam ‘Savage’ Eggington, a boxer who made his name at welterweight and has so far had an unsuccessful time at the weight class above.

Both fighters have fallen in and out of winning ways in their most recent bouts, and both have a point to prove; that they belong in contention at 154lb.

The two men have lost two of their last five bouts but the difference in the quality of opposition is blatant. In his previous five bouts ‘Beefy’ Smith, 26-2-1 (14KOs), has been defeated by Canelo Alvarez via a 9th round stoppage and dropped a decision to Jaime Munguia. But his victories, most notably include back-to-back wins over domestic rival, Liam Williams.

It’s a very different story for Eggington. ‘The Savage’, 24-5 (15KOs), lost a surprise split decision to Mohamed Mimoune, in Sam’s first defence of the WBU welterweight title. Two fights later, he came unstuck against Hassan Mwakinyo, 11-2 at the time, in a non-title bout at 154lb.

Unlike Saturday’s opponent, Eggington’s three victories in recent bouts aren’t exactly wins to shout home about either; Two stoppages and a 4-round decision win over opponents whose pro records combined, add up to 35-36-4 (20KOs).

But, speaking at the final press-conference on Thursday, Sam was well aware of his record compared to his opponent’s,

‘‘It don’t take a genius to know I’m the underdog in this fight. I quite like it like that. Nothing to lose everything to win. With having no pressure you can just enjoy your training much more.’’

Smith, fighting in Liverpool for the first time was just as humble when speaking,

‘‘Liverpool has so many good fighters, we don’t have enough of these big nights. Sam’s style and my style will always gel for a good fight, very competitive, but I feel I do everything better.’’

The headline bout tops a card that includes fellow Liverpudlians, heavyweight David Price up against the unbeaten Kash Ali, Tom Farrell vs. Phillip Bowes for the super-lightweight Commonwealth, and Robbie Davies Jr taking on Joe Hughes for the British and European super-lightweight straps.

But the most intriguing fight to look out for on the undercard will be…Anthony Fowler vs. Scott Fitzgerald.

It’s been heating up nicely in the past few weeks in a back-and-forth war of words on social media, and it boiled over at the press conference when domestic rivals, Anthony Fowler, 9-0 (8KOs) and Scott Fitzgerald, 12-0 (9KOs) went head-to-head.

And much like their Twitter personas, neither fighter was shy in coming forward. From ‘wet lettuce’ to ‘scared little boy’ to ‘geek’, the big talk went tit-for-tat with Scott speaking first,

‘‘Me and Tony both won medals within about half an hour of each other at the commonwealth so it’s gonna be a special fight…This is the first time I feel like I’ve tried. I’ve trained harder than anyone, ever. He’s delusional. A scammer.’’

Fowler, of Liverpool, responded with just as much venom,

‘‘You’re a scared little boy, son. Come Saturday night I’m gonna bounce my fist of your face…Look at me lad, I’m gonna punch your face in.
He’s done nothing in his life to worry me…I’m gonna jab his face off, make him overreach and I’m gonna punish him every time.’’

Both men won gold in the 2014 Commonwealth games when Fitzgerald fought at welterweight and Fowler up at middleweight. Both turning pro after the Glasgow games, it seemed inevitable that, after Scott decided to fight as a middle/junior-middleweight, that the two men would have to face each other before attempting to break the European scene. The WBA ‘International’ title will be on the line, but you suspect by the way the fight has built up that the two amateur standouts care a lot more about bragging rights that the belt on the line.

Posted on 03/07/2019

By: William Holmes

The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York will be the host site for Saturday’s latest boxing offering by DAZN and will feature two separate title fights. The co-main event will be between Maurice Hooker and Mikkel LesPierre for the WBO Junior Welterweight Title and between Dmitry Bivol and Joe Smith Jr. for Bivol’s WBA Light Heavyweight Title.

The undercard also features some entertaining and competitive bout. Callum Johnson will meet Seanie Monaghan in the light heavyweight division, Sergey Kuzmin will meet Joey Dawejko in the heavyweight division, and Yamaguchi Falcao and Paul Mendez in the middleweight division. Prospects such as Otha Jones III and Junior Younan will also be featured.

Photo Credit: DAZN Boxing USA Twitter Account

The following is a preview of the two title fights on the card.

Maurice Hooker (25-0-3) vs. Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1); WBO Junior Welterweight Title

Maurice Hooker exploded into the boxing scene when he won the WBO Junior Welterweight Title over Terry Flanagan at the Manchester Arena in Manchester.

He has defended the title once since then and looks to defend again against Mikkel LesPierre.

Hooker will have a three inch height advantage over LesPierre. He will also be five years younger than LesPierre, who is thirty four years old.

Both boxers have been relatively active recently. Hooker fought twice in 2018 and in 2017. LesPierre fought three times in 2018 and three times in 2017.

Both boxers had moderate success as an amateur. Hooker was a Dallas Regional Golden Gloves Champion and LesPierre competed as an amateur with moderate success.

Hooker has beaten the likes of Alex Saucedo, Terry Flanagan, Courtney Jackson, Cristobal Cruz, and Ty Barnett. He had draws with Darleys Perez, Abel Ramos, and Tyron Chatman.

LesPierre has beaten nobody of note. His biggest wins to date were against Gustavo David Vittori, Noel Murphy, and Mario Beltre.

This doesn’t appear to be a very competitive fight for Maurice Hooker. Les Pierre turned pro late and has never faced someone on Hooker’s level. Hooker should walk away with the win.

Dmitry Bivol (15-0) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (24-2); WBA Light Heavyweight Title

Dmitry Bivol is considered by many to be the best light heavyweight in the world. The former amateur Russian National Champion will face the heavy handed Joe Smith Jr.

Both boxers are in their prime with Bivol being 28 years old and Smith being 29 years old. Both boxers are also six feet tall. Bivol does have an edge in amateur experience as e was Russian National Champion and Smith was a New York Golden Gloves Champion.

Smith however, had a big edge in power as he had twenty stoppage victories while Bivol has eleven.

However, Bivol appears ready to face the power of Smith. He stated, “I am ready to fight. I hope Joe is ready too. We will make a great fight.”

Bivol has been the more active boxer of the two. Bivol fought three times in 2018 and four times in 2017. Smith only fought once in 2018, once in 2017, and three times in 2016.

Bivol has defeated the likes of Jean Pascal, Isaac Chilemba, Sullivan Barrera, Trent Broadhurst, Cedric Agnew, and Samuel Clarkson.

Smith has defeated the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Andrzej Fonfara, and Will Rosinsky. His losses were to Sullivan Barrera and Eddie Caminero.

Despite the fact Smith has been defeated before, the magnitude of this title fight is not lost on him. He recently stated, “This is what every fighter dreams of, to get a shot at a world title and this is my shot.”

It will be interesting to see how Bivol responds to a power shot from Smith, if he’s able to land one, but Bivol is a very good technical boxer and he should be able to walk away with the decision.

Posted on 03/06/2019

By: Sean Crose

“Winning a World title would mean everything to me,” light heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr says. “It’s everything I have worked towards my whole life. I cannot even express how I will feel when I win this title.” Smith, who will be facing WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol this Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, is aiming to grasp the holy grail of the professional boxer – a world title belt. “Dmitry is a great fighter,” Smith says of defending champ, Bivol, “very busy and active. My plan is to stay just as active and be busier than him, to outwork him. I plan to punch when he punches and make it a great fight.”

Smith made his mark by knocking out Bernard Hopkins in the great fighter’s final match back in December of 2016. In his next fight, however, Smith was bested by Sullivan Barrera via unanimous decision in July of 2017. Smith came back by knocking out Melvin Russel in June of last year. “The fans are in for a great show on Saturday,” Smith says.“They will see a new and improved Joe Smith Jr., the new Light-Heavyweight champion of the world.” As for Bivol, his last fight was a UD win over popular veteran, and former world champion, Jean Pascal last November in Atlantic City.

The Bivol-Smith battle will be broadcast live on the DAZN streaming service, and will be presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Matchroom Boxing. “I would like to thank Joe DeGuardia, Star Boxing, DAZN and Matchroom for this opportunity,” says Smith. “I am looking forward to raising that belt, and finally reaching my dream of becoming a World champion.” Although the 24-2 Long Island native is going to have his hands full against the undefeated, 15-0, Bivol, he would insert himself into the heart of the highly competitive light heavyweight division should he once again score a considerable upset.

“Smith Jr’s clash with Bivol is part of a huge night of action at Turning Stone Resort Casino,” Matchroom Boxing states, “with a second mouthwatering World title fight on the bill in the shape of Maurice Hooker (25-0-3 17 KOs) defending his WBO World Super-Lightweight title against Brooklyn’s Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1 10KOs).” Saturday will represent the 29 year old Smith’s first shot at a world title, though he’s fought for, and held the World Boxing Council International Light Heavyweight Title.

Posted on 03/05/2019

By: Sean Crose

“He’s a strong guy,” WBA World Light-Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (15-0 11 KOs) says of Joe Smith Jr (24-2), his opponent this Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. “I saw his fight against Bernard Hopkins, and he’s really strong. He has the same age like me, he’s young. But he has some minus points like many fighters that I will use to my advantage for my win. He moves forward a lot. This is a good challenge for me, to stop him.” The bout, which is scheduled to go twelve rounds, will be Bivol’s third tittle defense since he won it against Rent Broadhurst back in 2017.

“I saw in his eyes when I met him,” Bivol says of Smtih, “he wanted my belt. And I’m glad, because only that way it can make a good fight…We are both of different styles. When two guys meet in the ring with different styles in boxing, it usually makes a good fight. I think it will be a good fight for boxing fans.” Smith took the fight world by storm back in late 2017 when he literally knocked the great Bernard Hopkins into retirement. Since that time, the Long Island native has been bested by Sullivan Barrera and has notched a knockout victory over Melvin Russell.

Bivol, who has bested the likes of Jean Pascal, Isaac Chilemba, Barrera, and Cedric Agnew, is one of the big names in a red hot light heavyweight division. Yet the Russian prefers to focus on the matter at hand. “To be honest,” he says, “I don’t think about the belt. I just think about who my opponent is, and what he can show me in the ring. All I think about is how I should beat him. In my sight, I feel like I should just beat him. Of course, the belt is good for history, but I only think about my opponent.” Promoter Matchroom Boxing has this to say of the fight:

“Bivol’s clash with Smith Jr. is part of a huge night of action at Turning Stone Resort Casino with a second mouthwatering World title fight on the bill in the shape of Maurice Hooker (25-0-3 17 KOs) defending his WBO World Super-Lightweight title against Brooklyn’s Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1 10KOs).” Light heavyweights Sean Monaghan (29-2-0 17KOs) and Callum Johnson (17-1-0 12KOs) will also face off on the card, which will be aired live,courtesy the DAZN streaming service.

Posted on 11/13/2018

By: Michael Kane

Could Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) be following Canelo Alvarez to the super middleweight division?

According to Matchroom Promotions supremo Eddie Hearn that is a possibility.

Canelo (50-1-2, 34 KOs) faces WBA Regular champ Rocky Fielding (27-1,15 KOs) in New York on Dec 15th, in a debut fight at the 168 lbs division. Hearn has said talks have started about GGG taking on WBA Super champion Callum Smith (25-0, 18 KOs), potentially at the home of Liverpool FC, Anfield, next year.

If Smith doesn’t face GGG then there is talk of him moving to light heavyweight for a shot against one of the champions from that division.

“I’ve spoken to Tom Loeffler [‘GGG’s promoter] about it before,” Hearn told Sky Sports, “not since the press conference last week though

“That’s my No 1 choice for Callum Smith.

“I think it’s a fight that fills Anfield. It’s a great profile fight, it’s a great fight, full stop.

“Also, for Golovkin it gives him a chance to move up, do what ‘Canelo’ is doing, fight for the ‘Super’ title, and also for the ‘Ring’ magazine title at 168lbs.”

GGG may fancy a move up to super middleweight having competed at middleweight for so long and could set up another blockbuster with Canelo in the process, this time at super middleweight.

“If he [Golovkin] is even close to the mark in terms of weight at middleweight, it might be a good option,” Hearn continued.

“But whether he wants to take that risk before a possible third Canelo fight, I don’t know.”

Posted on 11/10/2018

By Jake Donovan

Less than a month ago, Joe Smith Jr. was in the favorable position of being able to choose between two offered title shots.

Today, he’s left to await his next move—but remaining ready for the first chance to return to the ring.

Photo Credit: Joe Smith Junior Twitter Account

The Long Island-based light heavyweight contender is left without a major fight for the moment, after watching a planned December showdown with unbeaten titlist Artur Beterbiev put on the back burner. A penciled-in December 15 clash at Madison Square Garden in support to reigning World middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s challenge of secondary super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding was scrapped when Beterbiev decided upon returning to training camp that he was best served to sit out the rest of 2018.

Beterbiev (13-0, 13KOs) would’ve been making his second title defense in the span of just over two months, having recently turned away previously unbeaten Callum Johnson in four rounds this past October in Chicago. However, the Canada-based Russian traded knockdowns with his challenger, still feeling lingering effects in early stages of training after having previously agreed to terms for a title defense versus Smith Jr.

While the decision is understandable from a safety aspect, it still leaves a hole in the schedule of Smith Jr. (24-2, 20KOs) who remains in training but not entirely sure of when he will return to the ring.

“It’s disappointing, but Joe always remains positive and hard at work in the gym, ready for anything,” Phil Capobianco, Smith Jr.’s manager told BoxingInsider.com. “We’re exploring several opportunities to figure out what’s the best fit for Joe.”

One such possibility was remaining on the Alvarez-Fielding undercard, taking a stay-busy fight against a yet-to-be-determined opponent while surveying the entire light heavyweight landscape. Aside from Beterbiev, all of the division’s major titlists have bouts scheduled between now and early February.

Among the lot is Dmitry Bivol, who will put his title and unbeaten record on the line versus former lineal champion Jean Pascal. The same opportunity was once available for Smith Jr., who was in advanced talks for the HBO-televised title fight in Atlantic City, some three hours from his hometown in Eastern Long Island.

Instead, Smith Jr. and his team agreed to terms for a shot at Beterbiev. The move was coupled with promoter Joe DeGuardia entering a three-fight co-promotional pact with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing USA, who also co-promotes Beterbiev along with Yvon Michel and is the primary content provider for boxing on sports streaming platform DAZN USA.

Early whispers now have such a title fight taking place sometime in the 1st quarter of 2019, but doesn’t at all impact Smith Jr and DeGuardia’s aforementioned arrangement with Hearn. In fact, it leaves the door open to still fight in December, a desired route given he’s fought just once since a 10-round loss to Sullivan Barrera last July, scoring a 1st round knockout over Melvin Russell this past June in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The quick hit was just enough to shake off some rust, but nowhere the level of competition he’s enjoyed in recent years. Smith Jr. enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2016, scoring a massive upset in a 1st round knockout of Andrzej Fonfara live in primetime on NBC, then going on to send future Hall of Fame legend Bernard Hopkins into retirement with a 9th round knockout in their Dec. ’16 HBO headliner.

The hot streak opened up the possibility of challenging for a world title but settled on a crossroads bout with Barrera last July. Smith Jr. scored an early knockdown but suffered a broken jaw shortly thereafter, fighting through excruciating pain in dropping a decision.

Following his quick hit of Russell earlier this year, Smith Jr. and his team immediately began exploring title opportunities before landing on Beterbiev. The matchup still remains very much in play for the near future, but also leaves wiggle room for the 29-year old to consider a tune-up and then instead challenging the likes of Bivol, or the winners of the December 1 clash between lineal champ Adonis Stevenson and Oleksandr Gvozdyk or the title fight rematch between unbeaten titlist Eleider Alvarez and former champ Sergey Kovalev.

“We just want to make sure we’re not waiting around for Beterbiev and then he decides he doesn’t want the fight (at all),” suggest Capobianco. “If that’s the next big fight for Joe, we’ll be ready and willing. If not, there are a lot of big fights out there and we consider all of the (titleholders) in play.”

Posted on 11/07/2018

By: Michael Kane

The World Boxing Super Series took place in Glasgow on Saturday 3rd November. On a card that had several current and former champions appear there were also a few bouts that included some local boxers.

One of these boxers was Kieran Smith who stopped his opponent within a minute.

Photo Credit: MTK Global Facebook Page

Smith is now preparing for his biggest fight yet at the end of November at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow when he faces Peter McDonagh for the vacant WBC International Silver belt.

Boxing Insider spoke to Smith after his quick fire finish on Saturday against Pavol Garaj.

Smith was happy to be a part of a big show like WBSS and explains why it was a long night for him. Saturday was a warm up fight before he faces McDonagh.

“Yeah, it was amazing to be part of such a big event in Scotland even though it ended up a long night for me because I was live float and did not get on until after main event, and as you say yes was a warm up fight but got change of opponent on Tuesday and I treat everyone the same, I never overlook anyone… one punch can change your career in this game.

“I didnt know anything about my opponent apart from he had a kickboxing backround and I made sure I kept it that way of knowing nothing about him.”

Did Smith expect a stiffer test?

“I dont know about expecting more from him as I think that if I hit anyone with the shot that I hit him with then I think they would be in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately for him I timed his right hand and caught him while his rib cage was wide open.”

Having appeared on a massive show, there was only one highlight for Smith out with his own performance.

Smith said, “Highlight for me was the same as any boxing fan in the hydro last night… Josh Taylor’s performance. Taylor is the complete package.”

Looking ahead to his fight with McDonagh, Smith only sees one winner.

“I see the fight with me and Peter playing out with me outboxing him point blank.”

Smith has signed with MTK Global and he now sees the benefit of joining up with the management company, with his first-time shot. Smith explains why he is happy with his decision to join MTK.

“Yes definitely (happy). I’ve been waiting on a title shot and had a bit of an unfortunate period there for almost a year until I signed with MTK. Then as soon as they kicked things off in Scotland I knew big things were coming and thats exactly what they are proving. MTK and Danny Vaughan, my manager within MTK have been great with me and they are guiding me on the right path.”

Who inspired Smith to take up boxing as a youngster?

“I first got involved in boxing on holiday, I watched Hatton vs Tszyu and when I saw Hatton win that night it sent shivers down my spine. I have no similarities to Hatton with my boxing style but I think the thing that I loved about that fight, which I believe can take me a long way, was his grit and ability to dig deeper and deeper every round.”

Smith aims to keep winning and to compete for more titles.

“Target for the year ahead is simply to keep winning, keep building myself into a more complete fighter and keep pushing towards bigger title fights.”

Posted on 10/15/2018

By Jake Donovan

The biggest knock on Artur Beterbiev in recent years has been his criminally infrequent fight schedule. His team has taken note and is now making up for lost time.

The unbeaten light heavyweight titlist from Canada by way of Russia will make the second defense of his title in late December, in a development first reported by RDS Canada. Beterbiev’s promoter, Yvon Michel has revealed the defense will come versus New York’s Joe Smith, landing on either December 15 in New York City or December 22 in Atlantic City.

Several moving parts will dictate when exactly the 33-year old knockout will next fight. The good news is that either date puts Beterbiev (13-0, 13KOs) back in the ring less than three months after his most recent start, a 4th round knockout of Callum Johnson on October 6 in Chicago, Ill.

Photo Credit: Artur Beterbiev Twitter Account

“It is almost certain that Artur will fight against Joe Smith,” Michel told RDS CA on Monday. “What is less certain is (the exact date). One thing is for sure; (Beterbiev’s) next fight will take place in 2018.”

Sports streaming app DAZN USA will carry the event, regardless. Whether it’s on December 15 or December 22 depends almost entirely on the streaming service securing the rights to the December 15 showdown between secondary super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding and reigning World middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

A press conference to formally announce the event—which will take place at Madison Square Garden in NYC—will be held on Wednesday in NYC. It has been widely speculated that DAZN will win the sweepstakes, although HBO—with whom Alvarez enjoyed an exclusive contact since 2014, but is now exiting the boxing business—very much remains a contender, in what could be (through its Pay-Per-View arm) its final boxing broadcast of a storied 45-year run as the industry leader.

Should DAZN win the sweepstakes, Beterbiev’s title defense will land as the chief support. Otherwise, he will headline a separate card in Atlantic City. Either scenario will mark the East Coast debut for the hard-hitting light heavyweight, who earlier this month traded knockdowns with Johnson before putting away the previously unbeaten Brit in a bout that served on the stateside debut of DAZN USA’s boxing series.

The win was Beterbiev’s first piece of ring action since a 12th round stoppage of Enrico Koelling last November in Fresno, California. He hadn’t fought in 11 months prior to that bout, having boxed just twice in each of the prior two years (2015 and 2016).

It’s been a frustrating past few years for the former amateur standout and two-time Russian Olympian, but an alignment with promoter Eddie Hearn—DAZN’s primary content provider—is already promising better days ahead.

“Artur Beterbiev (versus) Joe Smith Jnr for the IBF World title done for DAZN USA in December,” Hearn announced via his verified social media account on Monday. “(It’s) going to be a WAR! Date and venue announced very soon!”

Meanwhile, news of the title shot is still resonating with Smith since he was already training for another heavily rumored opportunity.

The full-time union worker and top-rated light heavyweight contender from Eastern Long Island was previously linked to a November 24 title challenge versus unbeaten Dmitry Bivol. That bout was due to headline on HBO, but is now just left as Bivol headlining the show although former champ Jean Pascal has since been suggested as the new opponent.

Regardless, it remains the first career title fight for Smith Jr. (24-2, 20KOs), who is best known in boxing circles for his knockout win over future Hall of Famer and retiring former two-division champ Bernard Hopkins in Dec. ’16. The feat came six months after he scored a shocking 1st round knockout of then top-rated contender Andrzej Fonfara, in a bout which aired live on free-to-air NBC in primetime.

The win over Hopkins was the first of two HBO appearances for Smith Jr., who seven months later returned to the network in a 10-round loss to perennial top contender Sullivan Barrera. The setback was not without its moral victory, as the now 29-year old New Yorker was celebrated for having fought through a broken Jaw for most of the fight.

Just one fight has since come from the healing process, a rust-shaking 1st round knockout of Melvin Russell this past June in Uncasville, Conn. It was enough to put him back in the title mix, not having to wait very long – or wasting any time in preparing for the life-changing opportunity.

“All I can tell you is that Joe Smith is training very hard,” Phil Capobianco, Smith’s manager told BoxingInsider.com on Monday. “He will definitely fight (for the title) before the end of the year.”