Just how good is Paul Smith?

Just how good is Paul Smith?

When legendary trainer Jose "Pepe" Correa said to Liverpool's "Real Gone Kid" Paul Smith "If you don't go on to win a World title I'll kiss your behind." I had to ask myself, Just how good is Paul Smith?

Correa has 40 years experience in boxing and has trained multi world title winning fighters like "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis so he certainly should know what a fighter needs to have if he is going to reach the top. All fighters would welcome some praise from a man so respected within the industry but what he said to Smith was much more than praise. It showed a belief that Smith could fight among the Super Middleweight elite.

Undefeated 2002 Commonwealth Silver medallist, Smith, can certainly bang. In the pre tournament tests in the Contender series he scored the highest marks for punching power. He has stopped or KO'ed 12 of his 21 victims and beaten decent, if not world class, opposition in Jonathan Reid (a former WBA world Middleweight title challenger) and Ryan Walls but world title?

I've only seen the edited version of his recent 5 round victory over American David Banks but Smith looked ragged and often one dimensional as he plodded forward looking for a knockout. Every fighter has a bad night and the 25 year old admitted "It wasn't my best performance. I took too many shots."

Sugar Ray told him in the dressing room afterwards "You're a better fighter than you showed." I'm inclined to believe this is true also. Smith may not be the most stylish operator but he certainly can do better and it was evident that his emotions and desire to stop Banks impaired his performance. He has a return bout with Banks (a fighter who has previous lost to Peter Manfredo Jnr over 10 rounds) in November on the undercard of The Contender final and this will be his opportunity to show that he really is a class above the man from Portland, Oregon.

So back to my orginal question.

How good is Paul Smith and can he win a world title? We'll, at 25 years old he has time to work on his technique and improve. As top level British trainer Billy Graham once said "Even the really good kids need some schooling." He should box better in his rematch with Banks and I'd fancy him to win by knock out this time around. From then on I'd like to see how he'd cope with a step up fight against a fringe level contender like Allen Green or Fulgencio Zuniga or even Peter Manfredo. At that stage it would be easier to assess his prospects but if I was put on the spot right here and now then the answer would be: YES. He can go on to take world honours but he is still a work in progress and a few years and at least 8 fights away from it.

By Andy Wake

Bute in the big time

Bute in the big time

Canada based Romanian Lucian Bute moved to 21 – 0 (17) and claimed his first world title by stopping rugged Colombian Alejandro Berrio for the IBF strap in the 11th round at Montreal's Bell Centre last night.

The victory puts Bute's name in the Super Middleweight mix and he will now look for a lucrative unification bout against either the Calzaghe versus Kessler winner or Aussie WBA titlist Anthony Mundine.

A fight against any of the those big names however appears unlikely as both Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler have stated their intentions to move up to Light Heavyweight should they win their November 3rd meeting and there is serious doubts over Mundine's ability to continue fighting after he suffered a serious eye infection earlier this year and was told that his vision may be permanently impaired.

So, what next for Bute? Well, this fight will have fallen under the radar of most people in America and although there has been some internet talk already about a meeting with the "Buck eyed Banger" Kelly Pavlik that's not going to happen. More likely is a initial defence against likes of a Vitali Tsypko, Juergen Braehmer or even Canada's own Jean Pascal. Jeff Lacy's name has also been mentioned should be look good in his return fight in December.

A clearer picture as to whether a unification match up is actually possible will be able to be made after the Calzaghe – Kessler fight. This is because it is likely that whoever wins that match will vacate their belts and look for a contest at 175 pounds with Bernard Hopkins. So with the WBC, WBA and WBO championships up for grabs the Romanian southpaw could see a title fight for double world glory against someone like Russia's German based banger Dennis Inkin or Britain's Carl "The Cobra" Froch (a man Bute has been accused of avoiding in the past).

Talking recently about Lucian Bute unbeaten loud mouth Carl Froch said "In my last fight I utterly destroyed Sergey Tatevosyan, who Lucian Bute had to go to points with two months earlier."

"Lucian Bute is not a massive puncher and has not been hit by someone like me yet. Tatevosyan told me after our fight that I'm better and stronger than Lucian Bute." Whether Tatevosyan did tell him that though is debatable considering that the Russian does not speak any English.

By Andy Wake

Calzaghe v Kessler - A look ahead

16 Oct 2007
Calzaghe v Kessler - A look ahead.

Special Feature - A look ahead to Calzaghe vs Kessler
A fight that eclipses all others finally takes place at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on November 3rd. Push Mosley versus Cotto and Mayweather's tussle with Hatton to back of your mind for the time being because the biggest fight this year is without question Calzaghe versus Kessler. The WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring magazine titles will be at stake.

Ever since the "Viking Warrior" Mikkel Kessler knocked out German WBC king Markus Beyer in Copenhagen on the same night Newbridge southpaw Joe Calzaghe came through a tough and bloody title defence against Sakio Bika the public have been slathering at the mouth at the prospect of these two undefeated 168 pounders meeting. With around 65,000 people in attendance and millions watching on Setanta and HBO the public finally get what they want.

Calzaghe, who was last beat as a teenage amateur, has been clambering for a contest of this magnitude for years. Fights with the likes of Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Sven Ottke and Jermain Taylor have all fallen by the wayside. Many people (mostly Americans) blame Joe and his long list of injuries for these fights not taking place but others are inclined to believe Joe has been a victim of his own ability and lack of notoriety and to the likes of Jones and Hopkins, in particular, he represented too much risk for too small a payday. It is also known that when a fight was agreed with "The Executioner" in 2003 it was Hopkins and not Calzaghe that pulled out. Though his career he has been described as a protected fighter and his WBO title a McDonald's belt but this simply isn't true. He's fought the best that were available and it isn't his fault that the big names have side stepped him. Granted some of his twenty defences have come against the likes of Tocker Pudwill and Will "Kid Fire" McIntyre but he's successfully beat six world champions, fought in twenty-one title bouts, and reigned as the top super middleweight for over a decade. Those are achievements that few in this sport can boast.

Kessler like his Welsh foe is not without his detractors. He has been described as robotic and one dimensional but it can't be denied that he packs one hell of a powerful punch. His victory over Markus Beyer looks better than it really was due to fact that Beyer had looked shaky for sometime and had been talking about retirement. It was the impression of many in the industry that Beyer had took the Kessler fight for money and was expecting to get knocked out before he even stepped through the ropes. But the way in which the German wilted should not take anything away from the 28 year old Dane, he has won 2 version of a world title, taken the scalp of a then undefeated prospect in Librado Andrade, made the decent Manny Siaca quit on his stool to take the WBA strap and travelled to the other side of the world to beat the always tough Anthony Mundine in his own back yard. One of the most admirable things about Mikkel is his willingness to fight anyone anywhere. He is involved in this HBO headline event on merit.
Mikkel Kessler, who it is rumoured will have the cross of Saint George on his shorts due to his English heritage, is confident he can end Calzaghe's 43 fight winning run. "He (Calzaghe) is a great fighter but I'm going to beat him," He said recently, "I'm going to be better than my last fight by 200% and he's going to get a big surprise."

He added "I'm going to show everyone I'm a bigger champion than he is."

Joe Calzaghe fired back by saying "Kessler is probably the best fighter I've ever faced, but like all my other opponents, he will go empty handed. November 3rd can't come soon enough for me."

If Calzaghe has a flaw it's his defence. He fights, sometimes arrogantly, with his hands low and, as a result, has been floored by Byron Mitchell and Kabary Salem but does possess a sturdy chin and should be able to stand up to Kessler's best shots. Kessler on the other hand has never faced anyone who fights like the Welshman and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to Calzaghe's all action style.

Verdict: The Vikings have invaded the British Isles before but on this occasion will go home defeated. I see Kessler landing some good precise punches early on but Calzaghe will be too fast and frustrate the Dane with quick combinations. For me this fight will end with another Calzaghe victory by unanimous decision.

by Andy Wake