BoxRec

If they were to fight this summer who wins? Fielding didn't look great in his last fight but needed the rounds. While Smith has lost back to back fights with AA.
As Rocky is ranked highly by 3 organizations and is Paul's mandatory for his British title he would not only get to keep the Lonsdale belt but also move up in the world rankings if he wins, as well as earning a good payday filling out the Echo Arena, after 2 defeats he cant go into another world title fight, so for me if he doesn't fight Rocky it shows he's not sure he can beat him.
So what does everyone else think? Will he fight him? If he does who wins?

I fancy smith to start saying Iv proven I'm at world level so won't drop down to fight him . After twice losing to a shot AA.

Earleylad wrote:I fancy smith to start saying Iv proven I'm at world level so won't drop down to fight him . After twice losing to a shot AA.

I can see that but then if he's getting asked to be an opponent for sturm it's a no brainer As he will get far more money!& fieldings not going anywhere is he

hurlock wrote:

Earleylad wrote:I fancy smith to start saying Iv proven I'm at world level so won't drop down to fight him . After twice losing to a shot AA.

I can see that but then if he's getting asked to be an opponent for sturm it's a no brainer As he will get far more money!& fieldings not going anywhere is he

Surely it wouldn't be far greater then getting the lions share of packing out the Echo? He's also said he wants to win the Lonsdale for his son or something and if he doesn't fight him he'll get stripped.

In my opinion, the only way that Smith can justify dodging the fight with Fielding is if Eddie lands him a shot at the Euro title. Paul Smith is never world class and Abraham is the weakest of the current world champions. Basically if Smith cant win the WBO then he isnt going to win any other version.

Paul Smith will not get a bigger payday fighting anyone else at this stage, surely?

Personally, i think Smith has the beating of Fielding who looks very one dimensional. Would be a cracking fight tho.

liamlion wrote:In my opinion, the only way that Smith can justify dodging the fight with Fielding is if Eddie lands him a shot at the Euro title. Paul Smith is never world class and Abraham is the weakest of the current world champions. Basically if Smith cant win the WBO then he isnt going to win any other version.

Paul Smith will not get a bigger payday fighting anyone else at this stage, surely?

You're right
You know this, I know this, the boxing world knows this.

The chances of it crossing Smiths mind?
Not a chance.
Boxers, pretty much every one, are delusional about how good they are and how far they can go.
Smith is no different

Doesn't Groves have the European title? Can't see either side wanting that fight so unless he's getting a wedge to fight someone like Sturm then Fielding seems the biggest and most logical fight for Smith.

Want to see Fielding vs either Paul or Callum but judging by his last IFL interview Rocky has no interest in fighting Callum for the vacant British title so hope Paul vs Rocky can get made.

Paul Smith wins this fight. He is the better fighter and I don't rate Fielding that much, I think Callum Smith would stop Fielding. Paul Smith by comfortable points decision.

brian13 wrote:Paul Smith wins this fight. He is the better fighter and I don't rate Fielding that much, I think Callum Smith would stop Fielding. Paul Smith by comfortable points decision.

What this man said

As for Paul smiths son getting a Lonsdale belt Paul could buy him one as getting your mortgage down is what it's all about! It's a sport for us and work for them at the end of the day,however id be dissapointed if smith held out and relinquished if he had no offers! That would show bad lack of faith against a decent opponent who I think he beats as he's to game & busy for fielding who I feel once pushed goes into survival mode..

I see absolutely no reason for Smith not to take the fight.
A big payday and a chance to win the Lonsdale outright, not to mention that beating a 20-0 fighter who is world ranked would do his chances of another big fight the world of good.
Rocky may have looked poor the other night but he always does when he tries to box. He looks so much better when he is coming forward throwing shots, and if he can turn the fight into a brawl then I can see him getting the stoppage, but I can't see him outboxing Smith at all.

Fielding is a bit of a hit and miss and I wouldn't be surprised whoever won this one. Smith had absolutely no business fighting for a world title but acquitted himself reasonably well albeit against the weakest champ. Smith will be taking his time with this decision and so he should. After two losses he knows a third loss in a row would affectively end his career so he needs the right fight for the most money possible.

Id fancy smith to win this on Points , Fielding can punch though
always seems to be very unconvincing when hes getting interviewed as if hes not confident but maybe thats just way he comes across or wither hes just being sensible and letting his trainers / manager do there job.

its a fight that make sense but if Paul smith is getting offered much better money at this stage to fight elsewhere then he should go for that.

How come Smith didn't give up his British title? In the past it's always been the well trodden cliché that they "had" to vacate their domestic title when they got a world title shot.

Smith gets two and is still the holder?

Paul knocks Rocky cold.

I think this will happen if other big domestic fights don't get made. Eddie wants a couple of big summer shows so if he can't land the bigger ones he will throw more money at this fight which is what Paul wants. I don't think Paul fears Rocky in the slightest and i'm sure he see's it as an easy win but he's not got many fights left in him and he has to pick carefully now.

On the fight I feel Rocky has a punches chance, Paul Smith should easily outbox him for a late stoppage between 10-12.

Interesting what 18 months does

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=174634

Fielding is going nowhere fast.

At 27 years of age, 20 pro fights and in his 5th year as a pro he needs to push on and this would be a good fight for him - it would generate good publicity (at least in Liverpool) and a win would improve his ratings.

Not to mention, if he beats Paul this would set up a great rivalry / big £ fight down the line against Callum Smith.

He should be shouting for this fight at every single opportunity, on social media, on these forums, in the boxing press, on Radio city etc .etc.


Below is a comment from Paul Smith about Fielding copy and pasted from the Liverpool Echo site :

“Boxing, for me, is about levels and I believe I am at world level; I don’t think he’s at that level. If he gets to world level then maybe I’ll grant him his wish and fight him.

Why on earth would someone have to be at world level to box him for his British title? Only in his world would that sort of logic make any sense.

orbtastic wrote:Why on earth would someone have to be at world level to box him for his British title? Only in his world would that sort of logic make any sense.

Only in his world is he actually at world level. Abraham is barely there at this stage and when he bothered to prepare properly, he gave Smith a pasting for most of the fight.

I would have fancied Fielding to win this one to be honest and I think I still do. My only slight concern recently was that fight where Fielding didn't make weight and also this injury that's kept him out for a while. Assuming the injury is fine and sorted I still think I'd have him to beat Smith.

In fairness I didn't see Fieldings fight Saturday and hear it was rubbish so perrhaps that would change my opinion.

To be fair to Smith he has shown he can box at a high level and Rocky hasn't. Smith should vacate the British belt if he's not going to defend, he'd not hold onto an area belt and refuse challenges for that belt because he'd proved a higher class boxer.

I don't think Fielding hits hard enough to knock Smith out and Smith would most likely grind out another scouse derby win.

Paul will take which ever fight pays the most and hopefully from a british fight fans perspective it's fielding but i wouldn't be suprised if it was another one of the krauts for top dollar.

This ''i'm world level'' talks a tad predictable/annoying isn't it?

You just knew if he managed to go the distance with abraham he'd be giving this type of spiel in interviews.

I prefer to point out that paul has lost every meaningful fight he's had in the pro's.

Any fight were paul hasn't been odds on to win he's been beaten,simple as that.

As others have said there is no reason for Smith not to take this fight, Fielding is alphabet rated and it's a big fight in Liverpool. I think the fact that Smith did 24 rounds with AA says more about where Abraham is these days than it does for Smith being world class, his only other step ups have been inside schedule defeats.

I'd be interested to hear what Smith thinks his next career move should be exactly.

It will be 2 years in 3 months time since Smith won the British title and hasn't made 1 defence!! If he thinks he's world class then fight and beat Fielding for a nice wedge, then with a higher ranking he can still go and lose to a fringe world class German based fighter.
The fact is he has held up the precious belt when guys like Frank Buglioni, C Smith and Fielding all could have fought for it.