Liverpool’s Paul Smith(35-5, 20KO’s) is set to appear in his third world title shot in a row after signing to welcome the undefeated American Andre Ward(27-0, 14KO’s) back in to the fold after nearly eighteen months away from competition. The fight will take place on June 20th in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California, and the WBA Super World super-middleweight belt will be on the line.
A resigned looking Smith spoke with iFL TV to give his thoughts on the dreadful prospect of taking on one of the best fighters to ply their trade over the last five years.
“I’m trying to look at the positives all the time and there’s not that many when you’re fighting someone like Andre Ward but, I’ll be 100% going in there and give every last thing I’ve got. He’s had a lot of inactivity; he hasn’t fought in a long time and what else am I gonna do? I’ve been offered a chance to fight Andre Ward. For what they’re offering me, I’d fight Klitschko for it.”
‘They’ are the deep-pocketed Roc Nation Sports who pried Ward out of the contractual cell his former handlers were keeping him in. Hence the long lay off. The task is daunting, but Smith wants to validate his own standing by matching his skill as well as fattening his wallet.
“It’s a massive opportunity to test myself against the best fighter in my weight, and he is the best, he is the number one I’ve said that time and again. As long as he’s not fighting [WBA regular champ Carl] Froch is the number one but the minute he comes back he’s back on top again.”
Plans for a Froch-Ward rematch were seemingly scuppered by Ward’s refusal to travel to Nottingham, Froch’s hostile lair of support. Their first meeting was a one-sided points win for Ward 2011, a performance in which he showed his durability and strength against a man famed for those assets, and really raised his worth in the eyes of many British fans.
Now Smith, who for the most part has operated below world level until his two most recent meetings with WBO champion Arthur Abraham(42-4, 28KO’s), is willing to step up to the plate again against a much tougher opponent and feels he has nothing to lose by taking a chance.
“It’s a no-brainer for me. It’s not like I’m 21-0 and got a record to protect. I lost me last fight; I’m lucky to be getting a chance like this. It’s a massive chance, a massive opportunity, and I’m taking it with both hands.”
“You’ve gotta take what’s given to you.”
Few would have imagined twelve months ago that Smith would be suiting up for his third big dance on the spin around this time. The big chances seldom come for fighters who have slummed it for years on smaller shows before gradually working their way up. Smith’s situation is a rare one indeed, and he acknowledges his position. All he can do now is look at the man he is about to face as just that, a man, and let the chips fall where they may.
“At the end of the day I’m getting in there, he’s not a wrecking ball. He’s not a Kovalev or a Golovkin though I believe he’s probably better than them. He’s a very technical fighter, a very capable fighter who doesn’t know how to lose. He finds a way all the time but everyone’s got chinks in their armor; everybody’s got ways of being beat and ways of being hurt.”
Smith and his trainer Joe Gallagher will conspire to exploit any deficiencies Ward exhibits after his prolonged period of inactivity. How deeply ring-rust has set in we won’t know until fight night. Smith will need every circumstance to go his way, as well as put in the performance of ten lifetimes to win his maiden world title here, but as he repeated in the interview, “stranger things have happened.”
