Joe Smith Jr. doesn’t completely buy into the revenge angle in play for this weekend’s light heavyweight clash with Jesse Hart, but can appreciate the passion which fuels the second-generation contender.
Philadelphia’s Hart is the son of Eugene ‘Cyclone’ Hart, a 1970s middleweight and currently serves as his head trainer. However, it was another legendary Philly native who inspired his career—former two-division world champion Bernard Hopkins. Now a Hall of Fame inductee, Hopkins was sent out of the sport in the worst possible fashion, suffering a 9th round knockout at the heavy hands of Smith Jr. in their December 2016 clash.
The outcome never sat well with Hart (26-2, 21KOs), who—when presented with the opportunity to pick his next opponent—demanded a showdown with Smith Jr. in order to exact revenge on behalf of his boxing-rich city. A different set of reasons accompanies the working class contender from Long Island, New York, but now career goals inspired in part by his upcoming opponent.
"With this fight, hearing how Jesse was inspired by Bernard Hopkins growing up—it gives me motivation,” Smith Jr. (24-3, 20KOs) admitted during a recent media conference call to discuss their ESPN headliner this Saturday from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “It motivates me to put on a great show, to inspire other people watching me.
“I want other people to talk about me the way Jesse’s talking about Hopkins. So that’s my goal when I come out January 11. I want to inspire others to get out there and work their hardest every day.”
Ironically, it was Smith Jr’s win over Hopkins which spawned such a movement towards the end of 2016 and through his subsequent loss to Sullivan Barrera seven months later. working class hero from the Mastic/Shirley region of Long Island, New York spends his days as a union laborer, digging ditches and working a jack hammer.
Juggling two careers helped his crossover appeal as a cult favorite, first through the ‘Rockin’ Fights’ club show series presented in Huntington (roughly 45 minutes from Smith’s hometown) by promoter Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing Inc. His legend grew first through his upset 1st round knockout of Andrzej Fonfara in their June 2016 NBC-televised clash in Chicago, followed by his aforementioned win over Hopkins in the greater Los Angeles area, both carrying healthy crowd support from area union workers.
He’s since suffered two losses in his last three starts, but views Saturday’s fight as means to thrust back into the spotlight. Whereas Hart is dedicating the fight to his personal boxing hero, Smith Jr. feels a greater obligation to those who view him in such a light.
"I just always look to improving myself,” notes Smith Jr. “I want to better my life. The way to do is to put on a great show and moving forward with my career.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox