The Liverpool ace put on a ruthless performance tonight in front of his home fans at the Liverpool Echo Arena to destroy challenger Mark Thompson inside four rounds to successfully make the first defence of his title.
Smith, 25, who is now undefeated in 16 fights with six knockouts, is delighted to continue working with his promoter who he signed with in 2008 and is looking to achieve big things in 2014.
Dear Deontay,
I’m asking you man-to-man and hope that you have the honour and courage to accept my challenge and fight me.
I’m in this business to prove that I’m the best and to become a world champion which I’m sure you are too, so take me up on my challenge and let’s do this and get it on early next year.
I’ll be honest, I don’t rate you. You’ve put together a record of 30 knockouts from 30 fights, but I believe that you are grossly overhyped for knocking over nobodies – which is understandable for the first two years as a pro when you’re learning – but after 30 fights you’re still knocking over nobodies. As a guide I fought Vitali Klitschko for the world title in only my 18th fight. When are you going to step up and fight a real contender?
Heavyweight star Dereck Chisora begins his 2014 world title campaign on Saturday 8th February at London’s Copper Box Arena and aims to end the year as world champion.
Power-punching Chisora finished off Czech Ondrej Pala inside three rounds at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night to successfully defend his WBO Intercontinental belt and add the Vacant WBA International title to add to his European crown.
The win caps a fantastic year for the Finchley ace who’s won all four fights by KO and is in a great position to start 2014 as he looks to get his second shot at a world title. In his first attempt in February 2012 he pushed the WBC World Champion Vitali Klitschko the distance and giving him his hardest fight since Lennox Lewis nearly a decade earlier.
Former WBO World Light-Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly has had to withdraw from his comeback fight at the Copper Box Arena this Saturday due to a back injury.
The Welsh star was making his long awaited return to the ring against Australian Daniel Ammann for his first fight in the cruiserweight division with the Vacant Commonwealth title on the line.
Finchley heavyweight Dereck Chisora still headlines the show when he defends his WBO International title against Ondrej Pala with the Vacant WBA International title also on the line, with London super-middleweight star Frank Buglioni challenging for his first title – the Vacant WBO European Championship, plus a cracking showdown between Bradley Skeete and Colin Lynes for the Vacant English Welterweight title.
The former WBO World Light-Heavyweight champion takes on the tough Australian Daniel Ammann for the Vacant Commonwealth Cruiserweight title on Saturday 30th November at London’s Copper Box Arena, live and exclusive on BoxNation.
Cleverly, 26, who started his pro career as an 18-year-old welterweight in 2005, is now adding an extra 25lb of muscle as he starts his campaign to win a second world title after his shock loss to Sergey Kovalev in August.
And the Welsh star knows that he will need as much beef as possible in his new weight class as he’ll be facing small heavyweights, but is confident he’ll also have the speed to deal with them.
Welsh star Nathan Cleverly will begin his campaign to become a two-time world champion when he makes his big ring return as a cruiserweight on Saturday 30th November at London’s Copper Box Arena. Cleverly goes straight back into title action when he takes on Australian Daniel Ammann for the Vacant Commonwealth title, featuring alongside Dereck Chisora who makes the first defence of his European Heavyweight title against Matteo Modugno, live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).
The 25-year-old lost his unbeaten record and WBO World Light-Heavyweight crown to big-hitting Russian Sergey Kovalev in August, but after a break and refocussing himself on his career, Cleverly is desperate to get back in the ring and win a second world title in 2014.
European Heavyweight Champion Dereck Chisora gets to do an Italian job on unbeaten Italian challenger Matteo Modugno at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 30th November.
The big-punching Finchley star has recaptured his form winning all three fights this year by stoppage and aims to stop Modugno to cap a fantastic year as he looks for a world title shot in 2014.
Chisora, 29, captured the European title last month with a devastating display to smash German Edmund Gerber inside five rounds, showing that he is back to his best and ready for a second world title opportunity.
Headlining is Billy Joe Saunders’ lip smacking second defence of his British and Commonwealth middleweight strap against fellow unbeaten southpaw John Ryder from Islington.
Tensions are sure to be high with both principals committed to attack and bringing large vocal followings, it can’t fail to be a humdinger. But who will depart with ‘bragging rights’?
Brilliant British welterweight champion Frankie Gavin endeavours to complete his domestic apprenticeship on Saturday evening then vault to the world stage where he believes his prodigious talent is best suited.
The 27-year-old Brummie southpaw, still England’s only ever world amateur champion, can secure the Lonsdale Belt outright if he dispatches Manchester’s former two-weight national champion David Barnes in the third defence of his crown at the Copper Box Arena on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
British and Commonwealth Welterweight Champion Frankie Gavin, who aims to secure his Lonsdale belt outright this Saturday (21 September) at The Copper Box Arena when he faces David Barnes, spoke today about rival Amir Khan’s chances in a potential showdown with the pound-for-pound number one fighter Floyd Mayweather Jnr., saying simply “he hasn’t really got any!”
Gavin, Britain’s only ever amateur world champion, was responding to media reports that Khan is a leading contender to become the next opponent for Mayweather, who made light work of his supposed number one threat, Canelo Alverez, last Saturday which was shown live on BoxNation in the UK.
Gavin continued, “Khan is an excellent fighter but Mayweather is definitely a step too far for him, as he is for anyone at the moment.”