Stephen Smith: 'Don't blame Joe Gallagher for Selby defeat'.

[liverpoolfightnight]

Stephen Smith has lept to the defence of his coach Joe Gallagher amidst critisism over the former British and Commonwealth champion's defeat to Lee Selby last month.

The 26 year old says he was prepared tactically and physicaly for the challenge of the Welshman, but felt drained in the early rounds. He said: "Watch my next fight before you judge him. I was flat and there was nothing any coach could have done that night, I take 100 percent of the blame because everything Joe was telling me to do I couldn't (put it into action). I felt like my body and mind weren't in contact, they couldn't connect."

"I firmly believe the tactics we went in with would work and I'd beat Lee Selby on another night, it was down physically down to me not being there."

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[Boxing Pirate]

Poor Joe Gallagher.

[billy nelson]

Good luck to stephen hes a top guy and a great wee fighter,im sure he'll bounce back from this.

[SexySouthPaw]

Drained in the early rounds means overtraining more commonly known as leaving it in the gym

[BoxingAnalyst]

Selby was just the better fighter on the night. Stephen is not a brawler he is a boxer, Joe Gallagher in my opinion only knows how to train one style, pure aggression.

[winkveron]

It's funny how Joe Gallagher, the man previously with an unbeaten record as a coach, is now being slated by several people on here. The '0' was never going to last forever.

[Autobarn]

macklin did pretty well vs sturm, no? far better than expected, with many fans and writers crying robbery along with fight of the year. joe's fighters have had some very hard fights, of recent. hopefully one of them will get the big result, such as the alleged crolla-morales, etc.

[LeedsLad]

Unless Gallagher instructed him to fight like that, then Smith is right to say what he said.

Physically I think he was alright, but his tactics were wrong, and eventually he was banged out in style by Selby.

He'll be back and back in good fashion I'm sure, but his inability to fight inside could come back to haunt him. Simpson dominated him in close, his only answer was to grab hold and keep hold until the referee broke them up.

He's very good off the back foot, something I'd suggest he sticks to unless the necessary improvements can be made.