Boxer Smith aiming for first professional win

The 18-year-old Dewsbury fighter made his professional debut in Huddersfield on October 9, when the referee scored his bout with Lincoln’s John Boulter level after four two-minute rounds, despite many at ringside having Smith a comfortable winner.

Smith will return to the ring tomorrow, when he travels to the Doncaster Dome to meet home debutant Jason Ball, but he is expecting another tough fight.

In contrast to Smith, who decided to turn pro at a young age, Ball is nine years older and has turned his attentions to boxing following a career in mixed martial arts.

The former Thornhill High School pupil, who is studying for an NVQ in personal training at Thornes College in Wakefield, is relishing the challenge and is hoping for a first win.

Smith said: “I have been working hard in training both at Dickies gym in Batley and Chris Aston’s in Huddersfield.

“Mark Hurley, at Dickies, has been helping with my conditioning and weight and I am sure this will help with my career.”

Smith won 12 out of 16 fights as an amateur, boxing out of Keith Tate’s Cleckheaton Academy.

During his amateur career, he reached a national junior semi-final, a boys club quarter-final and the last eight of a senior national competition, before being inspired to turn pro by the success of Dewsbury’s British champion Gary Sykes.

Speaking after his draw with Boulter, Smith said: “Things went well and I thought I controlled all four rounds.

“I enjoyed my debut but I was gutted with the decision. I am now determined to get more fights under my belt and then have a re-match with Boulter and then prove there would be no doubt with the result.”

Sykes’s thrilling British super featherweight title points victory over Manchester’s Andy Morris was pipped in the British Boxing Board of Control’s fight of the year category at the awards ceremony in London last Sunday.

The winning fight of the year was the European title clash between Sheffield’s Ryan Rhodes and Manchester’s Jamie Moore.