Stevenson Wants to Face Smith in NY; 4/29 Negotiations Ongoing
Posted: 21 Jan 2017, 07:42
Promoter Yvon Michel is optimistic regarding negotiations for Adonis Stevenson to defend his WBC light heavyweight title against Joe Smith Jr. The Stevenson fight Michel is discussing with Joe DeGuardia, Smith’s promoter, would take place April 29 at the newly renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
Smith, who knocked out legend Bernard Hopkins last month, is from Mastic, New York, another Long Island town that’s about a 45-minute drive from Uniondale.
“We’re still talking,” Michel told BS on Friday. “We’re making progress. We have things we have to take care of, but we’re moving forward.”
Michel emphasized that Stevenson is more than willing to travel to New York to make this title defense. The Quebec-based Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) has developed a large fan base in Canada and each of his past 13 fights have been held either in Montreal or Quebec City.
“Stevenson wants to do it,” Michel said. “So we’re trying to find a way that everybody will be happy. Adonis is a team player. He’s working with his manager [Al Haymon] very closely. We work together very closely. He understands. He’s telling us what he wants to do. He’s trusting everybody and that where we wanna go, that it’s the best thing for him. He has no problem going wherever we decide we need to go.”
The 27-year-old Smith (23-1, 19 KOs), a full-time union laborer, finds himself in realistic position for a title shot after back-to-back knockouts of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara (28-4, 16 KOs, 1 NC) and Philadelphia’s Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs, 2 NC) in 2016. He is the WBC’s No. 5-ranked contender for Stevenson’s 175-pound championship.
Smith, who knocked out legend Bernard Hopkins last month, is from Mastic, New York, another Long Island town that’s about a 45-minute drive from Uniondale.
“We’re still talking,” Michel told BS on Friday. “We’re making progress. We have things we have to take care of, but we’re moving forward.”
Michel emphasized that Stevenson is more than willing to travel to New York to make this title defense. The Quebec-based Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) has developed a large fan base in Canada and each of his past 13 fights have been held either in Montreal or Quebec City.
“Stevenson wants to do it,” Michel said. “So we’re trying to find a way that everybody will be happy. Adonis is a team player. He’s working with his manager [Al Haymon] very closely. We work together very closely. He understands. He’s telling us what he wants to do. He’s trusting everybody and that where we wanna go, that it’s the best thing for him. He has no problem going wherever we decide we need to go.”
The 27-year-old Smith (23-1, 19 KOs), a full-time union laborer, finds himself in realistic position for a title shot after back-to-back knockouts of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara (28-4, 16 KOs, 1 NC) and Philadelphia’s Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs, 2 NC) in 2016. He is the WBC’s No. 5-ranked contender for Stevenson’s 175-pound championship.
