British boxing star Dalton Smith shared his analysis on the recent fight between Jack Catterall and Regis Prograis and discussed a potential future showdown with Catterall. Smith also addressed recent comments made by boxer Adam Azim, which have sparked controversy in the boxing world. In an interview with Andy Purewal for Boxing News, Smith shared his perspectives on the fight and clarified his stance regarding Azim’s statements.
During the interview, Purewal highlighted Catterall’s recent victory over Prograis. Smith reviewed the fight as “entertaining towards the end” and praised Catterall’s performance, stating that Catterall won clearly. Although Dalton Smith anticipated a wider margin on the scorecards, the decision was closer than expected.
“My prediction was a wide scorecard for Jack Catterall. I think it was a bit closer than I expected, but it was a great performance by Jack,” he said.
They also discussed the knockdowns during the bout, with Dalton Smith describing Jack Catterall’s knockdowns as “far more devastating” than Prograis’, noting that while Prograis’ knockdowns were legitimate, they didn’t cause significant damage.
The possibility of a future fight between Dalton Smith and Jack Catterall also came up.
While Smith acknowledged that Catterall is seeking a world title, he didn’t rule out a potential matchup within the next 12 to 18 months. “Jack and I are friends, but boxing is a business. If it makes sense, then it’ll happen,” Smith commented, leaving the door open for a clash that could draw significant interest in the UK.
Regarding Junaid Bostan’s recent victory over Maico Sommariva, Smith praised his teammate’s performance, highlighting Bostan’s effectiveness in the ring. Smith noted the time it took for Bostan to find his range, but once he did, he dominated the fight. “Great performance. I think it took him a round to settle in, but once he found his range, he boxed really well. And what a peach of a body shot,” added Smith.
Finally, the interview focused on Adam Azim and his recent bout against Ohara Davies. Smith felt that Azim boxed well and met his expectations. However, when addressing Azim’s post-fight comments, Smith suggested that these weren’t spontaneous, hinting that Azim may have been directed to make certain statements.
“I’ve been asked this so many times. Obviously, that wasn’t Adam speaking spontaneously down the camera; he was told to say that for the show,” clarified Smith.
Dalton Smith denied making any disrespectful comments about Azim or his promoter, Ben Shalom. According to Smith, he simply raised questions that many are asking, seeking clear answers without any intention to offend. Despite Azim’s statements, Smith made it clear that he didn’t take the comments personally and closed the topic diplomatically.
“You can find any interview with me—I’ve never disrespected Adam or Ben Shalom. That interview was actually the first time I’d seen Ben Shalom since the All-European thing. I saw my opportunity and took it, and the questions I asked were the ones everybody’s been asking. There was no disrespect—it was just about getting answers to what was plainly in front of us.”
“Come on, I don’t take anything personally,” Smith concluded.
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