Paul Smith (boxer)

Paul Smith
Smith in 2011
Statistics
Real name	Paul Smith, Jr.
Nickname(s)	Real Gone Kid
Rated at	Middleweight Super-middleweight
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Reach	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Nationality	British
Born	6 October 1982 Liverpool, Merseyside, England
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	41
Wins	35
Wins by KO	20
Losses	6
Medal record Representing  England Men's amateur boxing Commonwealth Games 2002 Manchester Light-middleweight

Paul Smith
Genres	Grime
Occupation(s)	MC, songwriter
Years active	2004–present
Associated acts	Mike Di Scala

Paul Smith, Jr. (born 6 October 1982) is a British professional boxer. He is a two-time former British super-middleweight champion, a former English middleweight champion, and has twice challenged for a world title.

Boxing career

Amateur career

Smith started boxing at age nine with the Rotunda amateur boxing club and fought in South Africa, Uzbekistan, and Denmark representing England. He comes from a family of boxers and he and his brothers (Stephen, Liam, and Callum) became the first group of siblings to all win ABA titles.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Paul won silver medals for his country in the 2001 Copenhagen Cup^[6] and 2002 Commonwealth Games, losing to Jean Pascal by two points;^[7] Smith was then picked up by Frank Warren and turned professional.

Professional career

Smith's career has featured many bouts held mainly in the UK, Germany and the USA. He has faced Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham for the WBO Super-Middleweight title twice. The first was a controversial decision.

On 10 March 2007, he KO'd the Belgian, Alexander Polizzi in Liverpool, winning the WBU international middleweight title in the eighth round.

On 20 March 2007, Smith took part in boxing's answer to Golf's Ryder Cup fighting American Jonathan Reid; the Nashville, Tennessee resident lost to Smith on a technical knockout.

On 4 September 2007, Smith joined nine other boxing hopefuls as members of season three of The Contender. Smith fought rival David Banks from Portland, Oregon, and ended with a win for Smith by split-decision. However, since Smith had the lowest point total out of the remaining boxers, he was disqualified. The victory over David Banks was fought in Pasadena, California and was broadcast on ESPN and ITV; Ray Leonard said Smith let his anger take away from his ability. Smith was left with two cuts, one on his nose and another around his eye; this meant he was medically unfit to continue the contest regardless of performance.

Smith returned to England and defeated Cello Renda to win the vacant English middleweight title. He lost the title in his very next fight against Steven Bendall on 21 June 2008 in Birmingham, England, on a much contested points decision.^[8]

Tony Quigley

On 30 October 2009, Smith challenged Tony Quigley for the British super-middleweight title in Liverpool's Echo Arena. Quigley was the holder of the British title after defeating Tony Dodson only months earlier at the same venue. The fight was a tight affair with Smith eventually winning via split decision over 12 rounds thus crowning him the new British super-middleweight title holder.

Tony Dodson

Smith's first defense of his title came in his thirtieth professional contest at the Echo Arena, Liverpool on 12 March 2010, against Tony Dodson. Smith won again, this time via a unanimous 12 round decision.

James DeGale

Smith boxed Beijing 2008 gold medalist, James DeGale at the Echo Arena, Liverpool on 11 December 2012, the fight was stopped in the ninth round, causing Smith to lose his British super-middleweight crown.

George Groves

Smith, once again challenged for the British title against George Groves, after two first round stoppage wins since his defeat to James DeGale. The bout took place in Groves' native London at the Wembley Arena on 5 November 2011. Smith won the opening round on all three judges cards and landed a hard shot on Groves towards the end of the round. One minute into the second round, however, a lead overhand right from Groves to Smith's jaw floored him. Smith was able to beat the count only to be dropped again, forcing the referee to halt the contest.

Arthur Abraham

On the 27th September 2014, Smith fought WBO Super-Middleweight title holder Arthur Abraham in Kiel, Germany. Despite arguably outworking Abraham for the full 12 rounds, the judges ruled in the Armenian's favour by scores of 119–109, 117–111 and 117–110. Many ringside observers saw the fight as being far closer than the judges ruled it and Smith's promoter Eddie Hearn labelled the judges scores a "disgrace."^[9]

Smith is currently without a promoter after making a statement on Twitter on Friday 8 November confirming that on 1 November 2013 he had written to Frank Warren terminating his bi-lateral joint manager/promotional agreement with Warren and Queensberry promotions.

Professional boxing record

Music career

As well as being a boxer, Paul Smith Jnr is a resident DJ at the 'Society' nightclub in Liverpool.^[11] He co-wrote the Ultrabeat song "Better Than Life", with Mike Di Scala and has remixed the song "Falling Stars (Waiting For A Star To Fall)" by Sunset Strippers, also with Di Scala.^[12]

Genealogical information

Paul Smith is the older brother of the boxers; Stephen Smith, Liam Smith, and Callum Smith.^[13]

References

1. paul 2002 lt mddl aba
2. liam 2008 lt mddl aba
3. callum 2010 gb title
4. callum 2011 gb title
5. Stephen 2006 and 2007 ftrwt aba
6. http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Tournaments/CopenhagenCup2001.pdf
7. http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/CommonwealthGames2002.html
8. "Smith stunned by Bendall defeat". Icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk. 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
9. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/11126278/Paul-Smith-robbed-in-fight-against-Arthur-Abraham-in-Germany-as-Eddie-Hearn-calls-judges-verdicts-a-disgrace.html
10. record at boxrec
11. "Club Society website". Societyuk.com. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
12. "Paul Smith Jnr.". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
13. "Biography at boxrec.com". boxrec.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.

External links

• Official Career record from Promoter Frank Warren
• Paul Smith Jnr's website
• Paul Smith Jnr's MySpace
• Career record – fightsrec .com