Rivalry With Azim Is Taking Smith to Zepeda and Beyond

Each boxer advantages from having a rival. A fellow fighter who will help preserve each of their names related, inject some jeopardy and controversy into their careers, and, hopefully, present them with an enormous payday.

Dalton Smith’s blossoming rivalry with Adam Azim is one British boxing’s hottest themes. 

An attention grabbing battle between Smith, the British and Commonwealth tremendous light-weight champion, and Azim, the European champion, has been mandated by each the British Boxing Board of Management and the European Boxing Union, however political machinations imply that it has but to maneuver far past the preliminary stage of any big-fight negotiation – energy performs on social media, and provocative interviews on YouTube. 

Within the short-term Smith in all probability couldn’t care much less. Azim can wait. Smith has way more urgent enterprise.

The 27 12 months outdated is taken into account a possible future world champion, however relatively than plotting the trail of least resistance to a title or ready for a possibility to current itself, he accepted a battle with Jose Zepeda – a revered puncher who represents a harmful passage to world stage. 

Smith (15-0, 11 KOs) fights Zepeda (37-4, 28 KOs) on the Sheffield Area in Sheffield on March 23, and he believes {that a} win will take him into the higher reaches of his division.

“This wasn’t a battle what acquired compelled on to us,” Smith advised Matchroom Boxing. “We was like, ‘ what? It’s a very good battle that is going to place me proper up there within the 140lbs division; put in an enormous assertion right here towards Zepeda and I am up there within the combine’.  So, yeah, I am trying ahead to it.”

Zepeda has been mixing with the very best 140lbs fighters on the planet for the very best a part of a decade.

The Californian is 34 years outdated and has misplaced two of his previous three fights, however to Regis Prograis and Richardson Hitchins. The one different defeats he has suffered throughout his 14 years as an expert are his majority choice loss to Jose Ramirez for the WBC title, and his second-round retirement of Terry Flanagan, when a dislocated shoulder compelled his withdrawal. 

Zepeda additionally possesses that one ingredient that so usually transforms fights – uncooked, pure energy.

The youthful, brisker Smith may have his personal benefits on battle night time however he’s but to progress past home stage, and might want to attain a brand new stage to get previous Zepeda. To date he has handed each take a look at set for him; he could even have been matched within the good battle on the good time.

“He is acquired the resume and he is acquired the expertise,” he continued. “He’s acquired the ability and he is boxed at a a lot greater stage than I’ve as an expert. Clearly, he’s so much older than me however these are the fights we’ve acquired to take if we’ll be the very best. 

“Particularly within the 140lbs division – there’s going to be no simple fights to win a world title or perhaps a world title eliminator. There’s no simple route.

“I’m assured in my means. I imagine what I can do and go on and obtain and these are the proper fights to get me there.”