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In a Liverpool derby part-deux at Bolton Arena in Bolton, England on Saturday, Paul Smith, 32-3-0 (18), fights Tony Dodson, 29-7-1 (14), for the vacant British super middleweight title three years after their first bout.
The first fight was interesting, not captivating, but it had its ups and downs. Smith was cut early then Dodson was cut late and deducted a point.
The head clashes that led to the cuts (Smith’s was quite nasty) were a result of the two holding each other when they became in range, there was no clever in-fighting, both fighters wanted to keep it long and, after a flurry would hold on.
Paul Smith went into that fight the favourite then and he does now, although their last fight was a drawn out tiring affair that went the distance, Smith hasn’t been past 10 rounds since March 2010 against…Tony Dodson.
And that was the last time he looked good, really. After that was James Degale, who smashed Smith in nine rounds, then a couple of confidence building, “I’m not done yet”, eight rounders, both of which he ended in the first round. Then, Smith had George Groves end him in two rounds.
Paul Smith has had a scheduled six round warm up, last November, which went four rounds, but not against serious opposition. Apart from that, he has been doing quite a bit of presenting and analysing for television and has been more of a pivotal part of trainer Joe Gallagher’s Team Gallagher, or Team Smith as it were, (there are four of boxing Smith brothers).
When fighters start doing that whilst continuing a career in boxing, they are generally at the end of their careers and realise they can make some money staying in and around the sport they love, talking about the sport they love, which is great for everyone involved.
But inevitably, they will lose the hunger that once drove them to train as hard as they did, or to be as relentless as they once were. Not always, but quite commonly.
Although Bernard Hopkins…doesn’t count, he’s an anomaly.
Same goes for Tony Dodson though; he hasn’t had a good win since he fought Darren Stubbs for the vacant IBO Light heavyweight title in October 2011…if you want to count that.
Dodson might have won Prize-fighter in January 2011 if it hadn’t been for the doctor’s pulling him out on cuts, and in June of the same year he won a four rounder against Jamie Ambler, who was 9-46-2, but only just as Ambler floored him with nearly the last punch thrown of the fight.
Ovill Mackenzie stopped Dodson in three rounds in February 2012.
Smith and Dodson might start fast on Saturday evening, looking to prove a point, but expect them to fall into a repeat of the first fight…only, a bit slower.
On the undercard, Gavin Rees, 37-2-1 (18) vs. Anthony Crolla, 25-4-1 (9), should be a good little lightweight scrap while it lasts. As Rees proved when he fought for the WBC Lightweight title in February against Adrien Broner, there’s plenty of fight left in him yet, and Anthony Crolla likes to stand and trade.
If we use common opponent to both Gavin Rees and Anthony Crolla, Derry Mathews as our yard-stick here, we find that:
Crolla could only manage a draw against Mathews, and that was the re-match after Crolla was stopped the first time around. When Rees fought Mathews, Derry was stopped in six rounds.
Gavin Rees has fought at a higher level, and has only been beaten by incredibly good operators in Broner and Andriy Kotlenik in 2008. Expect a lively showdown, but I can’t see Anthony Crolla lasting the distance.
Scott Quigg, Thomas Stalker and Brian Rose also feature on the billing. Rose looks to retain the WBO inter-continental light middle weight belt he won off Joachim Alcine back in April, I am sure he will keep the belt.
Stalker looks to improve as a professional after his first stoppage at the beginning of the month, it is good that he’s fighting regularly. And Quigg has to shake off the ring rust after being inactive for seven months…again, I am sure he will.
Good billing, Gavin Rees vs. Anthony Crolla is the pick of the night.
