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Paul Smith believes it could be the ‘end of the road’ for the loser of his clash with Tony Dodson for the vacant British super middleweight title fight at the USN Bolton Arena on June 29, live on Sky Sports in ‘Rock & Croll’.
The Liverpool pair meet in a rematch of their 2010 bout, which saw Smith claim the British title with a unanimous decision, and the 30 year old knows defeat in Lancashire is not an option for either fighter.
“Of course, it is going to be hard for whoever loses the fight,” said Smith. “This is the biggest fight of my life because every fight I have is the biggest fight of my life. Any fight I lose could be the end because I don’t want to be one of those fighters who are getting losses, coming back, getting losses, coming back.
“I lost to George Groves and it was a bitter pill to swallow, the way I did lose and the way it happened, because I felt I was prepared right and I just got chinned, got caught with one of those shots you don’t see, and that is boxing.
“I can’t answer for Tony. Everyone knows what he is like, he never says never, I thought he would have retired after losing to Ovill McKenzie but he chanced his arm and has come back down to super middleweight. I do feel he is a super middleweight, he is a big super middle but he is not a light heavyweight.
“In the first fight Tony was going on about how much stronger he would be than me, he was saying he is bigger than me and more established at super middleweight, but I proved on the night that he wasn’t as strong as me and I more or less bullied him out of it which is what he was expecting to do to me.
“I have only gotten stronger in the last three years, I certainly haven’t got weaker, and I can’t see him gaining any more strength in the last three years.”
Smith and Dodson’s British title fight is part of a huge bill in Bolton, topped by the mouth-watering lightweight tussle between Welshman Gavin Rees and Manchester’s Anthony Crolla. Rees’ fellow countryman Lee Selby will be in action as he closes in on major honours in the featherweight division.
Brian Rose will box for the first time since beating Joachim Alcine for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental light middleweight title in April and some of Matchroom Boxing’s brightest talent will also be in action, including Team GB’s Olympic boxing captain Thomas Stalker.
Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £70 ringside and £120 VIP. Tickets are available at www.matchroomboxing.com or by calling 01277 359900.
