By Shaun Brown
BoxingScene.com has been informed that Stephen Smith’s quest for super featherweight world honours could edge one step closer on September 19.
The 30-year-old 22-1 (12 KOs) Liverpudlian, ranked two by the WBC and four in the IBF ratings may return to action in the UK against Italy’s Devis Boschiero 37-3-1 (19 KOs).
Preference for Smith, the WBC silver champion, was to go down the green belt route forcing an eventual bout against title holder Takashi Miura. However, an opening looks to have been created with the IBF that would see ‘Swifty’ face Boschiero in a final eliminator with the winner in pole position to face champion Jose Pedraza 20-0 (12 KOs).
Boschiero, the sixth rated IBF contender, will be a relatively unknown name to UK fight fans but the 34-year-old did push Takahiro Ao all the way back in 2011 dropping a split decision to the then WBC 130lb champion in Japan.
Smith, the fighting brother of boxing siblings Paul, Liam and Callum was last out on April 4 in a six-round contest against Barrington Brown in Newcastle. His second fight of the year after sitting out the latter half of 2014 due to kidney stones.
Only three of Boschiero’s 41 bouts have taken place outside of his native Italy and looks a winnable contest for Smith as he aims to become the first boxing world champion from his family. Recently, eldest brother Paul dropped two decisions against Arthur Abraham for the WBO super middleweight title and Liam (light middleweight) and Callum (super middleweight) are closing in on world title opportunities of their own.
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