By Scott Gilfoid: Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KOs) has lost his last two fights, and he’s not exactly coming into his non-title fight on June 20th against Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) in the ideal position for their fight at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
Smith, 32, is expected to lose and lose big in this fight. The only question is whether he gets knocked out or outpointed. However, Smith doesn’t believe that he has no chance. He’s seen enough of Ward’s fights on video to know that he can be caught from time to time in his fights, and he believes that he’s got a puncher’s chance of winning this fight.
Smith knows he can’t beat Ward by a decision, because if he tries that tact, he’ll get hopefully whipped by Ward. Smith’s only chance is to swing for the fences and hope he connects with a big enough shot to destroy Ward. I mean, I don’t like Smith’s chances of succeeding with that ploy, but that’s about the only thing he can do in this fight.
“Every fighter has got two arms and a chin. People are going around and saying all I have got is a puncher’s chance but that’s all I need,” Smith told Sky Sports News HQ. “Ward can be caught. He’s slicker than [Arthur] Abraham but he’s there to be caught, he leaves himself open sometimes. That’s all I need, a puncher’s chance.”
Just so you know, Smith lost back to back fights to Arthur Abraham in his last two fights. Smith complained about his first loss to Abraham in September of 2014, and his complaining got him a rematch in February of this year. It was just as one-sided as the first. I just wonder if Smith gets whipped by Ward by a 12 round decision whether Smith will start complaining that he won the fight in order to try and get a rematch. Somehow, I don’t think that approach is going to work with Ward and his promoters at Roc Nation Sports.
I think it worked for Smith because Abraham is a champion in a shaky position where he’s fighting on borrowed time as the WBO strap holder. Sooner or later, Abraham is going to have to finally face a talented contender instead of fighting Smith and Robert Stieglitz. Once that happens, I see Abraham losing badly and going back to contender status for the remainder of his career. I doubt that Abraham will stick around for very much longer after he finally loses his WBO strap.
“There is nobody in the world who doesn’t think I am the underdog. That’s how it goes,” Smith said. “At the end of the day I’m not going to go in there and try and let him look good, try and outbox him and let him do his stuff.”
It honestly doesn’t matter whether Smith tries to KO Ward or out-box him, I see Smith losing just the same. I mean, it’s not as if Ward has never fought someone before that was trying to knock him out. Smith is just another fighter that will be trying and will likely fail at getting a KO against the America talent.
Comments are closed.