jimmy
05-08-2008, 05:05 AM
Stephen Smith - ready to turn pro
Commonwealth Games champion Stephen Smith intends to sign a professional contract with promoter Frank Warren.
The Rotunda featherweight told BBC Radio Merseyside that he took the decision after failing to qualify for this summer's Olympic Games.
"It was a hard decision to make," he said. "But at the same time it's something I've always wanted to do."
Smith, 22, from Aintree, is scheduled to make his professional debut at featherweight in Birmingham in June.
At domestic level Smith won nine national titles and was twice crowned senior ABA Champion.
In the international arena, he won Commonwealth cold in Australia in 2006. And later that year he also won European bronze in Bulgaria.
He narrowly misses out on the Beijing Olympics having got within one win of qualifying for this summer's games in each of the three qualification tournaments open to European boxers.
I never want another set back like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong
Stephen Smith
Having missed the amateur code's showpiece event, Smith says he hopes to use that disappointment to his advantage in the paid ranks.
"It's always going to itch," he said. "I never want another setback like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong.
"I couldn't have trained better and I couldn't have boxed much better."
Having agreed to sign with Frank Warren's Sports Network, he has dismissed suggestions that he will find life in the paid ranks difficult to handle.
It's my chance to show people
Stephen Smith
"People who say, 'Will he make it as a pro?', they must think I'm going to get in and continue to box as an amateur.
"As a junior I boxed more as a professional but I had to adapt my style to be the best amateur boxer I could be. So I did that.
"Now I'll do the same thing and adapt to be the best professional boxer I can be.
"I know it's two completely different styles but I know I can do it and it's my chance to show people now."
Smith will train alongside his brother Paul, the reigning English middleweight champion, at Buddy McGirt's gym in Florida.
Paul Smith's next defence of his middleweight crown is set to be at Birmingham's NIA on the undercard of a bill topped by Amir Khan in June.
Commonwealth Games champion Stephen Smith intends to sign a professional contract with promoter Frank Warren.
The Rotunda featherweight told BBC Radio Merseyside that he took the decision after failing to qualify for this summer's Olympic Games.
"It was a hard decision to make," he said. "But at the same time it's something I've always wanted to do."
Smith, 22, from Aintree, is scheduled to make his professional debut at featherweight in Birmingham in June.
At domestic level Smith won nine national titles and was twice crowned senior ABA Champion.
In the international arena, he won Commonwealth cold in Australia in 2006. And later that year he also won European bronze in Bulgaria.
He narrowly misses out on the Beijing Olympics having got within one win of qualifying for this summer's games in each of the three qualification tournaments open to European boxers.
I never want another set back like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong
Stephen Smith
Having missed the amateur code's showpiece event, Smith says he hopes to use that disappointment to his advantage in the paid ranks.
"It's always going to itch," he said. "I never want another setback like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong.
"I couldn't have trained better and I couldn't have boxed much better."
Having agreed to sign with Frank Warren's Sports Network, he has dismissed suggestions that he will find life in the paid ranks difficult to handle.
It's my chance to show people
Stephen Smith
"People who say, 'Will he make it as a pro?', they must think I'm going to get in and continue to box as an amateur.
"As a junior I boxed more as a professional but I had to adapt my style to be the best amateur boxer I could be. So I did that.
"Now I'll do the same thing and adapt to be the best professional boxer I can be.
"I know it's two completely different styles but I know I can do it and it's my chance to show people now."
Smith will train alongside his brother Paul, the reigning English middleweight champion, at Buddy McGirt's gym in Florida.
Paul Smith's next defence of his middleweight crown is set to be at Birmingham's NIA on the undercard of a bill topped by Amir Khan in June.