Highlight reel knockout vs. Walid Ouizza first, world title shot next

Dalton Smith is aiming to get yet another highlight reel knockout when he takes on Walid Ouizza this Saturday for the European junior welterweight title.

Smith produced stunning finishes inside the scheduled distance against Sam Maxwell and Jose Zepeda in his last two contests. Those victories have helped push Smith as a must-watch attraction, and now the Sheffield resident will headline outside of his home city for the first time. Smith tops the bill at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, and he is hoping to deliver another stunning finish to impress the local crowd.

“I’ve got to go in there and put on a big performance and get the highlight-reel knockout,” Smith told BoxingScene. “That’s what everybody remembers; that’s what people want to go and see. They go and pay to watch entertainment, so that’s what I’ll be going in there to do.”

The European title has been seen as a banana skin for upcoming fighters in recent years. Ted Cheeseman and Lewis Ritson breezed through British level but came unstuck when they stepped up to face European champions Sergio Garcia and Francesco Patera, respectively. Fighters from Central Europe are sometimes overlooked by fighters expecting an easy night’s work, but these champions are usually very experienced and know all the tricks of the trade.

“These are the fighters, the unknown fighters,” Smith said. “You see the Mexicans who come in, I’ve never heard of them, but they are dangerous fighters. I think as long as you know as a fighter [that] you’re in there with a challenge, that’s all you need to do, be switched on and get the job done.

“Every fight you go into is a risk. It’s a fight. It’s two men having a scrap. But that’s why I prepare well. Obviously I’ve been fully focused to get the job done, and I’m confident in doing that. I’ve seen bits of [Ouizza], I’ve never watched much of my opponents anyway. I’ve just watched what I needed to watch, former European champion, two losses on his record, the opponent’s got a 50 percent knockout ratio, so yeah, one that I’m switched on for.”

Smith will be stepping up to European level, but he has no plans on sticking around. He has plans to push on for world honors and hopes to land a title shot very soon.

“Within the next couple of fights,” Smith said. “I’m highly ranked in a few of the [sanctioning] bodies now, so as long as I keep winning, doing well, obviously when that opportunity comes, I’m ready to take it. I mean, I’m in a great position with the WBC. I’ll be in a great position for the Sandor Martin-Alberto Puello fight winner. There’s many options, but one fight at a time, and then whatever opportunities come up, we’re ready.”