By Jake Donovan
Paul Smith is nothing if not a realist. The super middleweight contender from Liverpool, England is well aware of what he’s up against when he faces Andre Ward this weekend on the road in Oakland, California.
The bout—which airs live on BET in the United States (Saturday, 10:00 p.m. ET) and Sky Sports in the UK (Sunday, 4:30 a.m. BST)—will take place at Oracle Arena, home to the recently crowned National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Golden State Warriors. Bay Area fans are undoubtedly expecting to enjoy a second celebration this weekend, with unbeaten local hero returning following a forced 19-month layoff.
It’s that extended break away from the ring—and the fact that Ward will only be fighting for the third time since winning the Super Six super middleweight tournament in Dec. ‘11—that Smith (35-5, 19KOs) views as his best chance at conquering the long-reigning super middleweight king who comes in at close to a 70-1 betting favorite to win.
The massive odds come despite Ward’s inactivity. More likely, experts note Smith’s track record when stepping up in class. While the Liverpudlian has led a respectable career through 12 years as a pro, he’s better known for his knockout losses to James DeGale and George Groves—both coming when each boxer was an unbeaten prospect on the rise—and his pair of defeats to Arthur Abraham in his most recent outings.
Some fighters in his position would take advantage of the shot at fame, going over the top in attempting to draw attention to himself prior to fight night. Smith insists he is who he is, and to expect the same working class fighter come Saturday night.
“What you see is what you get with me,” insists Smith. “Same style, same boots. It’s always the same music as well in the ring walk.”
Ward will come into the ring with the music backdrop of local flavor, with the evening also receiving the special touches of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, with whom Ward signed earlier this year. Among those scheduled to perform is L.A.-based rapper Nipsey Hu$$le.
As for the Brit, the moments leading up to the ring will come to the tune of his theme music, Deacon Blue’s hit track “Real Gone Kid,” which is also Smith’s nickname. It won’t change, not even in favor of any of the tracks he’s remixed during his time spent moonlighting as a DJ.
Among his catalog is a reboot of Sunset Strippers’ cheesy pop hit “Falling Stars.” The hook for the song is “waiting for a star to fall,” which is the outcome he so desires on Saturday.
“We can only hope that proves appropriate for Saturday night.”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox