Da’velle Smith is enjoying learning and growing while continuing the legacy of Detroit’s Kronk Gym.
Smith returns Saturday at the Fox Theater in Detroit.
Smith, 13-0 (8 KOs), of Taylor, Michigan, has deep ties to the Kronk Boxing Gym. He trained there as a young fighter, and now trains with “Sugarhill” Steward as a professional in Florida. Smith, 25, moved up to super middleweight in his last fight, winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Martez McGregor. He is focusing on improvement at this stage in his career.
“At this point, I feel there is always something to learn,” Smith, who is signed to Salita Promotions, told BoxingScene. “That is the fun in it.”
Smith regards his previous camp with Steward as “one of the best camps I ever had,” as he noted that he learned something every day, from footwork drills to tying his shoes differently. Smith has set a goal of being ranked within the top 20 of his division by December 2026.
“I just moved up to the division, and I am getting smarter. I am getting stronger. I am doing all the necessary things to get me to the next level,” Smith said.
For his previous camp, his main sparring partner was Vladimir Shishkin. Shishkin was unsuccessful against Osleys Iglesias in an interim IBF super middleweight title fight, in which he was stopped in the eighth round. It marked the second time Shishkin had fought for a title, as he lost a close unanimous decision to William Scull. That victory would lead Scull to a Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight. Smith credits Shishkin for teaching him a lot in the gym, but says it was seeing him train seven years earlier that left a lasting impression.
“I remember in 2019 when he was training at the Kronk gym in the basement,” Smith said. “He would train harder than anybody. We would finish a day of training, and Vladimir was still working.
“I remember thinking about how that dude trains hard,” Smith added. “Fast-forward to today, he is where he is because of all of his discipline and hard work.”
Smith now hopes to follow in Shishkin’s footsteps one day and compete at the highest level of the sport. Smith is now looking to continue to develop and grow to get to the biggest stages of the sport and write the newest chapter in Kronk’s boxing history.
“This fight is important because it is going to elevate me,” Smith said. “If I do good in this fight, I could have another fight by the end of the year, and we are trying to get to that contender status. I have to treat every fight like it is a championship fight.”
