Joe Smith Jr.
| Joe Smith Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | The Irish Bomber |
| Rated at | Light heavyweight |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Reach | 185 cm (73 in) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
September 20, 1989 Long Island, New York City, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 23 |
| Wins | 22 |
| Wins by KO | 18 |
| Losses | 1 |
Joe Smith Jr. (born September 20, 1989) is an American professional boxer who competes in the light heavyweight division. Smith is the current WBC International light heavyweight champion.[1]
Professional boxing career
Light heavyweight
Early career
Smith made his professional debut in October 2009 defeating David Brown by technical knockout in the first round in Connecticut.[1]
Smith won his next five fights only to lose his 7th professional fight against Eddie Caminero.
Over the next five years, Smith racked up a record of 20 wins with 16 coming inside the distance and 1 loss. This included wins against the likes of Otis Griffin, Cory Cummings and a decision win against Will Rosinsky. In April 2016, Smith defeated Brazilian boxer Fabiano Pena via a 2nd round TKO winning 15 straight fights and continuing to rise up the ranks.
Smith vs. Fonfara
It was announced that Smith would be fighting the #2 WBC contender, former world title challenger Andrzej Fonfara (28-3, 16 KOs) for the WBC international light heavyweight title at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois on June 18, 2016 in a scheduled 10 round fight in the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card on NBC. Fonfara was coming of a huge decision win over British boxer Nathan Cleverly. A win here for Fonfara would set him up for another world title shot.[2]
In an 'Upset of the Year' in the light heavyweight division, Smith won the title by defeating Fonfara via a 1st round technical knockout. Smith knocked Fonfara down twice in the round 1. The fight was halted after the second knockdown by referee Hector Afu. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:32. Smith caught Fonfara with a big right hand that dropped him. Fonfara got back to his feet. The referee let the fight continue. When the action resumed, Smith landed a left hook that snapped Fonfara’s head back. Smith then followed up with a hard right hand to the head that dropped Fonfara in the corner, which ended the fight. The win also ended Fonfara's 15 fight undefeated streak at the UIC Pavilion.[3]
Smith vs. Hopkins
Former multiple weight world champion Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) announced he would be having a farewell fight at The Forum in Inglewood, California on December 17, 2016. He picked Smith as his final opponent. Hopkins would be coming out of a two-year layoff having last fought in 2014 in a decision loss to then unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. Smith was said to be 'excited' to be fighting on HBO, a card promoted by Golden Boy.[4]
Professional boxing record
| 23 fights, 22 wins (18 knockouts), 1 loss[5] | ||||||||
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | N/A | N/A |  Bernard Hopkins |
N/A | – (12) | 17 Dec 2016 | The Forum, Inglewood, California |
Defending WBC International light heavyweight title |
| 23 | Win | 22-1 |  Andrzej Fonfara |
TKO | 1 (10), 2:32 | 18 Jun 2016 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois |
Won WBC International light heavyweight title |
| 22 | Win | 21-1 |  Fabiano Pena |
TKO | 2 (10), 2:38 | 23 Apr 2016 | Paramount Theatre, Huntington, New York |
|
| 21 | Win | 20-1 | Will Rosinsky |
UD | 10 | 05 Dec 2015 | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York |
|
| 20 | Win | 19-1 | Shujaa El Amin |
TKO | 9 (10), 2:25 | 11 Sep 2015 | Paramount Theatre, Huntington, New York |
|
| 19 | Win | 18-1 | Cory Cummings |
TKO | 2 (10), 2:10 | 18 Apr 2015 | Paramount Theatre, Huntington, New York |
|
| 18 | Win | 17-1 | Maxell Taylor |
TKO | 1 (8), 0:37 | 20 Dec 2014 | Paramount Theatre, Huntington, New York |
|
| 17 | Win | 16-1 | Tyrell Hendrix |
TKO | 3 (8), 1:45 | 23 Jul 2014 | BB King Blues Club & Grill, New York City |
|
| 16 | Win | 15-1 |  Michael Gbenga |
RTD | 2 (8), 3:00 | 21 Mar 2014 | Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York |
|
| 15 | Win | 14-1 | Otis Griffin |
UD | 6 | 12 Feb 2014 | Roseland Ballroom, New York City |
|
| 14 | Win | 13-1 | Lamont Williams |
SD | 6 | 09 Nov 2013 | Roseland Ballroom, New York City |
|
| 13 | Win | 12-1 | Hamid Abdul-Mateen |
UD | 6 | 4 May 2013 | Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York |
|
| 12 | Win | 11-1 | Yasin Rashid |
TKO | 3 (8), 1:57 | 22 Sep 2012 | Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York |
|
| 11 | Win | 10-1 | James Denson |
TKO | 1 (6), 1:54 | 17 May 2012 | Plattduetsche, Franklin Square, New York |
|
| 10 | Win | 9-1 |  Amador Acevedo |
KO | 5 (6), 2:55 | 21 Apr 2012 | Cordon Bleu, Woodhaven, New York |
|
| 9 | Win | 8-1 |  Dennis Ogboo |
TKO | 2 (4), 2:06 | 30 Mar 2012 | Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut |
|
| 8 | Win | 7-1 | Santos Martinez |
KO | 2 (4), 2:40 | 30 Jul 2011 | Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York |
|
| 7 | Loss | 6-1 | Eddie Caminero |
TKO | 4 (6), 2:58 | 07 Aug 2010 | Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York |
|
| 6 | Win | 6-0 | Charles Wade |
TKO | 2 (4), 1:10 | 28 Jul 2010 | BB King Blues Club & Grill, New York City |
|
| 5 | Win | 5-0 | Walter Foster |
TKO | 2 (4), 1:39 | 26 Jun 2010 | Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut |
|
| 4 | Win | 4-0 | Christopher Dammones |
TKO | 1 (4), 0:18 | 02 Apr 2010 | Masonic Temple, Brooklyn, New York |
|
| 3 | Win | 3-0 | Carlos Adams |
TKO | 1 (4), 0:42 | 12 Mar 2010 | Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut |
|
| 2 | Win | 2-0 | Brandon McGowan |
KO | 1 (4), 0:45 | 20 Nov 2009 | Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, Rhode Island |
|
| 1 | Win | 1-0 | David Brown |
TKO | 1 (4), 2:35 | 31 Oct 2009 | Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut |
|
References
- 1 2 "Joe Smith Jr". boxrec.com. 25 December 2015.
- ↑ "Andrzej Fonfara v Joe Smith Jr". www.boxnation.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ↑ "Scorecard: Smith stops Fonfara, hopes for another big fight". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ↑ "Hopkins to end boxing career with Smith bout". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ↑ Smith Jr – Boxer. Boxrec.com.
External links
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