Exclusive Interview by Pavel Yakovlev – The welterweight division is currently boxing’s most competitive weight class, featuring stars such as Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley, Miguel Angel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and Andre Berto. Eventually, this elite group will be challenged by a rising young star from Miami: Antwone “The Truth” Smith.
Currently 17-1-1 (nine kayos), Smith (photo by Joe Gallo) has impressed national television audiences with a series of exciting victories. Recently, Smith scored his biggest career win by kayoing previously unbeaten Henry Crawford in a donnybrook broadcast live by Showtime. It is now clear to the boxing world that Smith will soon emerge as world rated welterweight contender.
Standing 5’7” and exhibiting very good athleticism, durability, and skill, Smith is a boxer-puncher who is not averse to trading punches. Although he can jab, counterpunch and move well on his feet, Smith tends to take the offensive with his hurtful left hook, and to back his foes up by dominating them with punches thrown from every angle.
To this writer, Smith’s willingness to abandon cautious boxing in favor of swinging hard, well-placed blows to the head and body in reminiscent of 1970s boxing great Matthew Saad Muhammad. Older fans will recall that although Saad was capable of winning by jabbing and moving, he preferred to take control with a two-fisted offensive style. Smith’s bouts, like Saad’s, tend to be action packed and intense.
Smith’s recent victory over Henry Crawford (22-0-1 going into the bout) is characteristic of his action packed style. Over the first five rounds, Smith maintained perfect composure despite his opponent’s advantages in height and speed, patiently wearing Crawford down with left hooks to the body..
In the sixth, Smith took total control of the action with a barrage left hooks and heavy rights that badly hurt Crawford, who looked out on his feet for most of the round. After calmly fending off determined counterattacks from the revitalized Crawford in rounds seven and eight, Smith explosively finished the match in the ninth round. Just seconds before the bell, Smith floored Crawford with a hard right. Although Crawford arose, his corner wisely threw in the towel after the round.
The Crawford bout is not the first in which the precocious Smith has exhibited professionalism beyond his years. His past performances show that he has the composure of a seasoned professional.
In 2008, Smith’s mental tenacity and capacity to resist pressure were shown in a dramatic fourth round kayo over Juan Camilo Novoa (13-2; 11 kayos). Against the hard-hitting Nova, Smith took heavy punishment in the first two rounds but never flinched. After turning the tide of the fight in the third round with an intense attack that had Novoa backing up, Smith was in trouble again in the fourth when his dangerous foe connected with a series of big punches. Smith, however, ended matters suddenly by flooring Novoa with a left hook followed by a series of hard right hands. The bout was waived off with Novoa in no condition to continue.
Smith’s mental discipline and physical conditioning are obvious to anyone who has seen him fight. In the ring, Smith seems imperturbable: regardless of the pressure he faces, Smith never shows signs of stress or emotion, and he seems uncannily capable of increasing his mental intensity at will. Smith’s physical conditioning seems extraordinary, as he has constantly shown the capacity to maintain a fast, grueling tempo in the ring without fatiguing, laboring or breathing heavily.
In the words of expert boxing handicapper Evan Young of www.boxingforecast.com, “I’ve been watching him for several fights and can’t help being impressed by Smith in many ways. He’s only 22 but he’s amassed excellent pro experience for his age and behaves like a veteran professional fighter in and out of the ring. He’s not a speed demon or flamboyant in the manner of a Floyd Mayweather nor is he a devastating KO artist, but he is like Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins in that he is special in the less celebrated aspects of the game. Smith obviously has a way to go to reach the heights of those men but so far he does appear to be following their pattern.”
Recently, Smith shared his thoughts with ESB in an exclusive interview.
WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN BOXING?
I didn’t like school very much, so I was focused on sports. I was playing football. Then, when I watched a Tyson fight, and I saw the undercard, I noticed the guys were young. I thought I could do that myself. I was 13 at the time. That was the first time I ever witnessed the sport. I liked what I saw during the previews of the fighters, when they were in the gym, hitting the bags, the mitts, sparring, and I thought I would like that.
DID YOU HAVE ANY BOXING HEROES AS A KID?
None. I had no boxing heroes. The first time I watched boxing was the time I told you about.
WHAT WAS YOUR AMATEUR RECORD? WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR AMATEUR CAREER?
I was 36-6. I won the Florida Golden Gloves when I was 17.
WHO IS YOUR TRAINER, AND WHAT GYM DO YOU TRAIN IN?
I’m training with Jorge Rubio, who I’ve been with since I started my professional career. I train at the Extreme Boxing Club in Hialeah.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON IN THE GYM WITH YOUR TRAINER, AND WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN?
Mostly, we’re working on me staying focused, staying sharp. Conditioning is the most important part of my gym work. Every Wednesday I run on South Beach, on the sand, and on Saturday, I run on the Key Biscayne Bridge, which is almost straight up straight down. I run about four miles per day.
DO YOU REGARD YOURSELF AS MORE OF A BOXER, OR MORE OF A FIGHTER?
Basically I can do both; if my opponent boxes, I can be the aggressive fighter. If he’s fighting, I can be the boxer. I prefer to be the aggressive one, though.
IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IMPROVING, IN TERMS OF SKILL?
I’m working on learning to throw more punches, in combinations. My style makes that hard, because I’m aggressive, always coming forward. So, I’m learning to put my punches together better as I move in.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST FIGHT TO DATE, AND WHY?
I would say the Novoa fight, because I dealt with a lot of adversity there. That was the fight I had to dig deep in. I definitely felt the punches; he’s the strongest puncher I ever faced. Basically, I had to keep my cool, and get a hold of myself. I turned that fight around by ending my toe-to-toe slugging with him, and by pulling away and boxing. After that, I was able to hit him as much as he was hitting me. He was lunging at me, and I was able to catch him with the left hook. After that, it was over, because I started putting my punches together.
SOME FANS AND EXPERTS THINK YOU TAKE PUNISHMENT UNNECESSARILY. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO SUCKER YOUR OPPONENTS INTO TRADING PUNCHES WITH YOU?
It’s not that I’m trying to sucker my opponents into trading punches. I am a very sharp defensive fighter, but sometimes a fighter has to take punches. There’s no way around it. I’m prepared for it, and I’m ready to win by any means necessary.
AGAINST GUTIERREZ, YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN THE EASY WAY OUT AND WON BY TECHNICAL DECISION AFTER HE HEADBUTTED YOU. INSTEAD YOU, YOU INSISTED ON FIGHTING ON, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE FAR AHEAD ON POINTS. WERE YOU HOPING TO KNOCK GUTIERREZ OUT?
I don’t want to be known as one of those guys who take the easy way out. That’s not me. I was in control of that fight; I saw no reason to take a technical decision win. But even if the fight had been close, I still would not have taken the easy way out. I fight until the last bell.
WHO IS THE BEST FIGHTER YOU’VE FACED SO FAR IN THE RING?
Joshua Cordero, who I fought when I was 7-1, was excellent. He had good speed, good power, he had everything. He was smart, he could lead, and he could counter. I had to use my mind the entire fight. He was in great shape. He was excellent. I was cut in that fight, I had to work hard to win. That fight was close all the way through.
I AM AMAZED THAT YOU REGARD CORDERO AS YOUR BEST OPPONENT. YOU WOULD PICK CORDERO OVER THE MORE EXPERIENCED GUYS YOU FOUGHT, LIKE CRAWFORD AND GUTIERREZ?
Those other guys had bigger records, but that doesn’t tell you everything. In pro boxing, you need to have backing to make it to the top. Sometimes the best guys aren’t the ones with the backing. Cordero was excellent even though he was only 7-1-1 when I fought him. I don’t know why he didn’t continue his career. He had it all.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HENRY CRAWFORD?
He was pretty good, he had good hand speed, good defense. I lost the first couple of rounds – I always start slow – but as the fight went on, I kept taking advantages of the openings. If he protected his head, I went to the body. If he protected his body, I went to the head. He was stylish.
I’VE SEEN YOU IN ACTION TWICE FROM RINGSIDE, AND I’M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR MENTAL INTENSITY. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO BREAK YOUR OPPONENTS WILLPOWER DOWN. AM I CORRECT HERE?
Honestly, it’s the opposite…I’m not like that. I consider myself an old school fighter. I’m not in there to play games or to be flamboyant. I stay professional, focused on the job at hand. It’s in my personality to remain cool, to keep my composure
WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR BEST OR FAVORITE PUNCH? I’M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR LEFT HOOK, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THROW IT TO THE BODY.
Left hook to the body. Also, any body is my favorite punch.
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIGHT IN THE FUTURE?
I’ll leave that up to DiBella.
IS THERE ANYTHING AT YOU’D LIKE TO TELL THE FANS?
Neah, not really. I’m not up for trash talking.
ANTWONE, THANKS FOR THE INTERVIEW. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT THAT YOU’VE TAKEN THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR VIEWS WITH ESB.
My pleasure, and thank you.