Paul Smith Added To May 29 Bellew vs. Makabu Bill
By Elliot Foster
Paul Smith will fight for the second time in just over three weeks later this month.
The Liverpool super-middleweight, who is a former two-time world title challenger, has been added to Matchroom Boxing’s Bank Holiday boxing bonanza on May 29, exclusively live on Sky Sports.
‘Smigga’ (36-6, 21 KOs) returned from an 11-month hiatus, following a stoppage defeat to Andre Ward last June, on May 7 at Manchester Arena, scoring a three-round stoppage victory over Bronislav Kubin on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s sensational seven-round stoppage of Ismael Barroso, his dangerous Venezuelan mandatory challenger, with which he retained the WBA lightweight crown.
But now Smith, 33, will be preparing for his second fight in less than a month after being confirmed as an addition to the undercard of Tony Bellew’s vacant WBC cruiserweight title showdown against Ilunga Makabu at Everton Football Club’s Goodison Park.
He will feature alongside his brother Callum, the WBC super-middleweight title mandatory challenger, who has also been added to the card, over eight rounds against an opponent to be named.
The addition of the two Smith brothers, who’ll fight alongside another of their siblings, comes after Tony Dodson was ruled out of his British light-heavyweight title challenge against champ Hosea Burton after suffering a serious achilles injury.
‘Real Life Rocky Story’, which is the show name of Bellew’s clash with Makabu, still boasts a stellar undercard.
Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd faces Pasquale di Silvio for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title, while Stephen Smith returns from his failed world title challenge last month in a clash for the vacant WBC Silver super-featherweight title against well-known Argentine Daniel Brizuela.
Elsewhere, Tom Farrell and Kofi Yates clash in an eliminator for the English super-lightweight title and there’s a host of local talents getting a huge opportunity to impress on the big stage in the shape of James Metcalf, Ged Carroll, Steve Brogan, Craig Glover and Scott Fitzgerald.
Meanwhile, there is action for Chester super-bantamweight Paul Economides and Merseyside heavyweight favourite David Price is back in action in his home city for the first time in almost three years.
But Sam Eggington, who was set to make a comeback from his March defeat at the hands of Bradley Skeete, is now off the bill.
Twitter: @FreelanceFoz
