LONDON – Mitchell Smith recorded his biggest win since returning from a five-year layoff when earning a unanimous victory over the previously undefeated Arnie Dawson.
England’s Smith had reached over 200lbs during a five-year break from the sport between 2017 and 2022, but at 32 years old he returned to lightweight at the O2 Arena for his second fight of 2025. Smith, 19-1 (9 KOs), sharing the ring with a young, hungry prospect in Dawson, used his experience to secure scores of 96-93, 98-91 and 98-91.
The opening round represented a slow affair in which they felt each other out with their left hands, but seconds before it concluded Smith fired a looping right hand over the top of Dawson’s guard and floored his opponent. Dawson, dazed, climbed to his feet and returned to his corner. Smith, spurred on by the knowledge that he could hurt him, pressed forwards in the second and tagged the 22 year old again with a solid right hand. Dawson absorbed it more convincingly, and the pair exchanged words before the round’s close.
Dawson continued to fight behind his long left jab, but Smith was clever with his movement, and was able to tag Dawson at will. Smith was becoming cocky, and after a wild right hand went sailing past Dawson’s chin, he was made to pay with a solid right that seemed to momentarily stun him. Dawson pressed forwards and clipped Smith with a left that again seemed to rock Smith, and the bell sounded just as the action was again intensifying.
Dawson was better in the fourth, when firing his stiff left jab into the guard of Smith before thumping in his right hand. Smith, however, still had his moments, and landed another looping right hand – almost identical to that that had dropped Dawson in the first – but this time Dawson stood firm. Dawson continued his good work with his left hand, but Smith was countering well, and slipping before delivering his looping right.
Smith looked the more comfortable of the two heading into the sixth, but Dawson hurt him with a fine right hand that shook him. Dawson then followed up doing so with a left hand that jolted the legs of Smith, but again the bell sounded at an unfortunate time for him. Spurred on by his efforts in the sixth, Dawson took the fight to Smith in the seventh, sinking in a body shot, which Smith returned. Smith again had the better of the action, but there was no quit in Dawson, who continued to fire away.
Dawson landed a hard right hand midway through the eighth round and was tagged by a beautifully timed left-hand counter from Smith. Dawson, however, still did not back off, but Smith was starting to land more often. There was a sign of respect at the sound of the bell to signal the end of the eighth when they touched gloves, but Smith was growing in confidence.
That confidence could again be seen in the ninth when Smith landed yet another thudding right hand. Dawson bravely fought back, but Smith sunk in a body shot that hurt Dawson again.
They touched gloves when the 10th and final round began, but Smith wasted little time in tagging Dawson early with another hard right hand. Dawson was stunned but again not deterred, and fought back bravely. He absorbed yet another two right-handed blows before the round’s close but finished on his feet. Smith instantly started celebrating at the sound of the bell, and Dawson looked devastated as he was consoled by his corner and awaited the official verdict.
All three judges scored in favor of Smith, but Dawson, who fell to 8-1 (4 KOs), did little to harm his reputation and has both youth time on his side to rebuild.
