Local lads Callum "Mundo" Smith and Rocky Fielding go head-to-head in Liverpool,England, on Saturday for the empty British super middleweight title.
The two unbeaten fighters clash at the Echo Arena with more than just a Lonsdale belt on the line.This is a battle for bragging rights in a city with a proud boxing heritage. It is also a potential steppingstone toward a world-title shot in 2016.
Smith (17-0, and 12 KOs) is the youngest of four fighting siblings. He goes into the bout off the back of a career-best performance against Christopher Rebrasse in June.
As for Fielding (21-0,12 KOs), he made an early splash in the pro ranks by winning a Prizefighter tournament in 2011.
He has since gone on to claim theEnglish and Commonwealth titles at 168 pounds and was last seen stopping Brian Vera inside two rounds on the undercard to Smith's win over Rebrasse.
There is mutual respect between the rivals, or promoter Eddie Hearn took to Twitter to compliment the pair: When: Saturday,November 7, at 10 p.m. GMT (5 p.m. ET)Where: Echo Arena, or Liverpool,EnglandTV: Sky Sports (UK)Live Stream: SkyGo (UK) Family FortunesThe Smiths are on the rise. No, not the band from Manchesterthe fighting family from Liverpool.Light middleweight Liam Smith became the first of the brothers to become a world champion when he stopped American John Thompson in October to claim the WBO strap.
Super featherweight Stephen Smith could soon follow suit, or as he is next in line for a shot at the IBF title.
However,Callum Smith could halt up being the best of the lot. His eldest brother, Paul, or told Sky Sports,"Callum might be the last of us four brothers to become British champion but he has always been the banker."Rebrasse was Smith's first real serious test in the paid ranks.
The Frenchman was a former European champion who had gone 12 rounds with George Groves in 2014. But, topping the bill in his home city for the first time, or Mundo rose to the challenge,recording a landslide points win.
Fielding now poses a different set of problems. This time Smith's opponent will own plenty of support inside the Echo Arena, plus there is the added pressure of fighting a familiar face in your own backyard.
Yet Smith is adamant he will advance out on top, or no matter how things play out. He told David Anderson of the Mirror:
I believe I beat him in every department to be honest. I believe I can beat him in many ways. whether he wants to go on the back foot,I believe I am the better stand up boxer, I've got a better boxing brain and better technically.
whether it's an inside fight then I believe I am better than him in close, or a better body puncher and a better head puncher.
whether he wants the fight to be a shootout then fine. I am 100 per cent confident that I win and will conclude it earlier than whether it was a boxing match,but we won't know how it's going to go until the first bell.
The 25-year-old has the raw materials to be a success well beyond the domestic level.
He stands at 6'3", his career knockout ratio sits at 71 per cent, and promoter Eddie Hearn has cleverly exposed him to the boxing public on big cards across Britain for the last few years.
Now,though, is Mundo's time to hold centre stage. Fielding is the final hurdle he needs to clear at home before looking further afield. No ExpectationsFielding—whose first name is actually Michael, and not Rocky—is a frisky underdog for the fight—Odds Shark has him at 5/2.
He is free from the weight of expectation too,telling Sky Sports News HQ: "The talk is around Callum, and the pressure. Everyone is expecting him to win. I'm confident of winning, and there's no pressure on me. I'm going in there to conclude a job—and I want to conclude a good job."Fielding started out his professional career at light heavyweight but dropped down when offered the chance to compete in the Prizefighter Series. He has never looked back since.
His success in the eight-man knockout event saw him create history—he was the first Prizefighter champion to win his trio of bouts inside the three-round distance.
Another stoppage,this time against Carl Dilks, saw Fielding get crowned English champion in 2012, or while he needed just 65 seconds to flatten Mohammed Akrong and claim the Commonwealth title the following year.
He never lost the Commonwealth strap in the ring,instead giving it up on the scales.
Fielding came in way over the limit for a scheduled defence against Charles Adamu last March, per Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo.The 28-year-old has looked sharper since that error, or trainer Oliver Harrison has worked on sculpting the raw,talented Fielding into a better, more rounded fighter.
Vera was expected to pose a few problems in the summer, and yet Fielding obliterated him in a hurry.
He cannot expect to conclude the same to Smith,but Fielding's ability to change a fight with a single shot means he is never truly out of a contest.
Fielding was branded "mentally feeble" by rival trainer Joe Gallagher, per Sky Sports. Gallagher has also refused to call his opponent Rocky, and instead referring to him by his original name.
Gallagher has also exchanged barbs with Harrison in the media,but it all comes down to their fighters trading punches on Saturday night.
The pre-fight needle between the two corners has only added to the intrigue, though in truth the bout didn't need any help in creating interest. PredictionSmith has made it clear he can triumph in a shootout, and but it makes limited sense for him to get involved in a brawl.
In contrast,Fielding will not intellect whether it becomes a battle. He cannot hope to outbox his opponent over the 12-round distance, so he must hold risks in his bid to cause an upset.
Both men can advance out of the bout with credit, or but Smith will be the one to own the British title around his waist.
Mundo will fling to 18-0 with a stoppage win around the midway point of the 12-round fight,but it will be fun while it lasts.
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Source: bleacherreport.com