Former British super-middleweight champion Paul Smith (29-2, 15 KO’s) has admitted in a recent interview with Britishboxers.co.uk that he won’t feel completely happy in his new gym in Manchester, until he has what most of the lads in the gym possess, a title belt.
The 28 year-old, now campaigning at middleweight, recently moved from his familiar surroundings in Liverpool to one of the most talked about gym’s in the country at the moment, Gallaghers Gym in Denton, Manchester and is training alongside some of the cream of British talent.
European champions Matthew Macklin (28-2, 19 KO’s) and John Murray (30-0, 18 KO’s) are joined by British lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (20-2, 8 KO’s) and Paul’s brother Stephen (11-0, 6 KO’s), who holds the British and Commonwealth featherweight titles and Smith is itching to get back to title status after his first round win last week.
“In my other gym, apart from our Stephen, I was the only one in the gym with a title, now I moved here and I am the only one without a belt,” Smith told Chris Maylett.
“Everyone around me is a champion, everyone around me has got titles, apart from me, so I have to get in gear and get back in contention with a belt of my own so I can hold my own in the gym with the banter.”
The four champions and “Smigga” are joined by hot prospects Joe Murray (brother of John) (10-0, 5 KO’s), Mark Heffron (5-0, 4 KO’s) and newly acquired Commonwealth games gold medallist Callum Johnson (2-0, 1 KO) in a remarkable line-up headed by trainer Joe Gallagher.
“The Real Gone Kid” knocked out Jozsef Matolsci at the O2 Arena last week, his first fight since losing his 168lb Lonsdale Belt to James DeGale in December at the Echo Arena in Liverpool and with Joe Gallagher's record as a trainer standing at an amazing 47-0 thanks to the Liverpudlian, Smith will be aiming to add a title to that record in the near future.
Phil D. Jay covers the boxing scene for worldboxingnews.net