By Ian Aldous: On Saturday June 18th, Joe Smith Jr.(21-1), will face the toughest test of his career when he goes up against hometown hero, Andrzej Fonfara (28-3), at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, live on NBC. Last week, the resident of Long Island, New York, took some time out from preparing for the fight to chat with me over the phone about the impending fight and his career so far.
IA: This isn’t the first time you’ve fought on a big PBC card. How did you find the experience of fighting in the Barclays Center as chief support to Peter Quillin Vs. Daniel Jacobs?
JSJ: Yeah, that was a great experience. I definitely learned a lot from it. It was a bigger venue than any one I’d ever fought in, so it was good. And after I beat him, it boosted my confidence a little bit, well, actually a lot. I just want to keep on going and fight in bigger ones (venues).
IA: Following on from what you’ve just said, when you fought Will Rosinsky, it was obviously a big step up for you. Did it give you a lot of belief in yourself knowing now that you can defeat a guy of that calibre?
JSJ: Yeah, it definitely did, you know. As an amateur, I grew up watching Will fight all the time. I always thought he was a great fighter and that one day I would be as good as him and get to fight him. And that day came and I beat him!
IA: This time you’re in the main event of a nationally televised show in the hometown of your opponent. How do you approach a fight of this magnitude? It must be a thrill to embrace the challenge?
JSJ: I’m looking forward to it. I’ve fought in the amateurs in front of hostile crowds being not the crowd favourite before. In my last few fights I was the crowd favourite but I’m prepared for it and I’m ready, I know what I need to do. I gotta just go in there and keep focussed on what I need to do and I’ll come home with the win.
IA: Last time out for Fonfara, he defeated former champion, Nathan Cleverly, in a tremendous battle that broke compubox records for a 175lbs fight. What were your thoughts on that bout?
JSJ: I watched a lot of it, I’ve watched it a few times actually, little clips. I didn’t get to see it live. It was a good fight, they were throwing a lot of punches but I’ve seen in the fight that they were pretty much just letting their hands go and just tapping each other, they weren’t setting any big shots up or anything. I’ve seen that he (Fonfara) gets hit a lot. Cleverly hit him with a lot of clean shots and I don’t think he’ll be able to stand there and do that with me, with the punching power that I have.
IA: Andrzej has already mentioned that a win opens the door for him to get a rematch with Adonis Stevenson. Do you think he’s overlooking you, and is that a little disrespectful to you?
JSJ: I think a lot of people are overlooking me a little bit in this fight. They’ll see when the time comes that I’m there and focussed and ready to put on a good show, and I believe that I can come out on top.
IA: How and when did you find out you were getting this fight?
JSJ: I found out right after my last fight. As soon as I won that fight, I went right back into training for this fight because I wanted to be 100% for it, so I didn’t take any time off. I just kept working and working, hopefully it all pays off.
IA: You’re still only twenty-six years old and you’ve been fighting professionally for just over six and a half years, are you happy with your career progression so far?
JSJ: Yeah, I’m happy with it. I think I’m moving along pretty well and this fight right here, this is what I’ve been waiting for. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get my way to the top and this is it.
IA: What does a win on June 18th do for Joe Smith Jr.? You must be hoping for more than just a top fifteen ranking with one of the sanctioning bodies, as Fonfara’s ranked in the top five with the WBA, WBC and WBO?
JSJ: This win will get my name out there. More people are gonna recognise me and know who I am, and maybe they’ll give me a shot against Adonis Stevenson if I beat him.
IA: Do you find it a little strange that you aren’t already ranked by a sanctioning body? Especially after the Rosinksy win.
JSJ: Yeah, I guess it’s a little strange because there’s a lot of fighters out there that are ranked a lot higher than me that I know I can beat (laughs) and that I’m a lot better than.
IA: In your opinion, who’s the best light-heavyweight in the world?
JSJ: I would guess I’d have to say Andre Ward or (Sergey) Kovalev.
IA: If you had to pick one?
JSJ: I don’t really know (pauses), me (laughs)! I didn’t want to sound too cocky but I guess I would say me (laughs). I have everything to be a light-heavyweight champion. I’m a boxer, I can box when I need to, I can punch when I need to. I’m a heavy puncher and I can do it all. I do whatever it takes to win, if it’s gonna take me to box and move, I’ll box and move. I’m not gonna run the whole time, I’m gonna look to land that big shot when I can. If I need to stay in there and slug it out then I’ll do that too.
The Premier Boxing Champions broadcast on NBC begins at 5:30pm ET/8:30pm PT