Notebook: Joe Smith has bad case of Covid-19, Oct. 30 title defense postponed

Fury-Wilder III undercard additions; WBC orders four bouts; podcast appearances; Quick hits; Show and tell; much more

Joe Smith Jr. is battling Covid-19 and has been forced to postpone his first WBO light heavyweight title defense.

Smith was scheduled to face Umar Salamov on Oct. 30 in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight was set to be formally announced in the next few days with tickets about to go on sale, but Smith came down with the coronavirus, according to Star Boxing’s Joe DeGuardia, Smith’s co-promoter.

Smith was feeling ill for several days and finally took a test that came back positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. He became so ill that he was hospitalized for two days near his home on New York’s Long Island, DeGuardia told Fight Freaks Unite on Tuesday.

“He was sick for about a week but didn’t get tested right away. For the first couple of days he tried to shake out of it, tried to run and stuff like that,” DeGuardia said. “But he was pretty sick. He couldn’t move. He was messed up. He was in bad shape. His wife was also sick but she is OK now, but it hit him bad. I’m hoping he’s going to be OK.”

Smith is out of the hospital after staying over Saturday night.

“I was in camp working hard. I am very disappointed that I won't be able to defend my title in October due to having Covid,” Smith said in a statement. “When I am better I will be back in the gym preparing to fight as soon as I can and put on a great show for all my fans.”

Top Rank told Fight Freaks Unite it plans to still put on a card on Oct. 30, possibly involving junior welterweight contender Jose Zepeda (34-2, 26 KOs), 32, of La Puente, California, who has won four fights in a row, including knocking out former titlist Ivan Baranchyk in the fifth round of the knockdown-filled 2020 fight of the year.

DeGuardia said that if Smith recovers quickly the hope is to reschedule the fight for November or December.

“We all hope he gets better this week and then can get back to work in the gym and we can get together with Top Rank and reschedule the fight,” DeGuardia said. “We’re hopeful but you just don’t know. It hit him hard.”

In his second shot at a world title, Smith (27-3, 21 KOs), 32, of Mastic, New York, eked out a majority decision over Russia’s Maxim Vlasov in an action-packed battle on April 10 at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to win the vacant WBO 175-pound world title. He won 115-113 and 115-112 while one judge scored the fight 114-114.

Smith and Vlasov were originally scheduled to fight on Feb. 13, but two days before the fight, Vlasov tested positive for Covid-19 and it was postponed.

Smith-Vlasov came about because the Las Vegas-based Russian Salamov (26-1, 19 KOs), 27, came down with Covid-19 and had to pull out of a planned semifinal WBO title eliminator against Vlasov that was due to take place last fall.

If Smith defeats Salamov, his next fight likely will be against former middleweight titleholder and current super middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs, of Brooklyn, New York, in the first part of 2022.

Next for Donaire?

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman notified the teams of bantamweight titleholder Nonito Donaire and interim titlist Reymart Gaballo in via email that the WBC has ordered the mandatory fight.

Sulaiman noted that the email “confirms the beginning of free negotiations and if there is no agreement the WBC will conduct a purse offer on Tuesday, Oct. 26.”

If that fight is indeed to be next for Donaire it would halt the prospect of a much-discussed rematch with unified champion Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs), a fight that both boxers want. It would be a rematch of Inoue’s highly competitive decision victory over Donaire to unify belts in the 2019 fight of the year.

Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs), 38, a Philippines native fighting out of Las Vegas, won the WBC belt in his next fight, a fourth-round knockout of Nordine Oubaali on May 29 to break his own record as the oldest fighter to win a 118-pound world title. Gaballo (24-0, 20 KOs), 25, also of the Philippines, won an upset split decision over former world titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez to claim the vacant interim belt on Dec. 19.

The WBC also ordered three other fights:

• Interim lightweight titlist Joseph Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 KOs), of Downey, California, against former interim titlist Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs), of Victorville, California, a fight their promoter, Golden Boy, has said they are trying to make.

• Featherweight titlist Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Maryland, against mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs), of the Philippines.

• Featherweight Eduardo Ramirez (25-2-3, 12 KOs), of Mexico, against South Africa’s Lerato Dlamini (15-1, 7 KOs) in a final elimination bout.

Fury-Wilder III undercard update

One Top Rank fighter, super middleweight knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga, and one Premier Boxing Champions fighter, former junior middleweight world titlist Julian “J-Rock” Williams, will appear in preliminary bouts televised on basic cable just before the start of the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III pay-per-view telecast on Oct. 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the companies announced.

The pay-per-view is being put on jointly by Top Rank broadcaster ESPN and PBC broadcaster Fox, so those two bouts will both air live beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes, as well streaming on ESPN+.

Berlanga (17-0, 16 KOs), 24, of Brooklyn, New York, who has knocked out every opponent in the first round except for in his most recent bout in April, will face former world title challenger Marcelo Esteban Coceres (30-2-1, 16 KOs), 30, of Argentina. It will be Berlanga’s first scheduled 10-rounder.

“I am coming do what I always do, which is to steal the show and knock out my opponent in devastating fashion,” Berlanga said. “Coceres is in for a rude awakening. Do not get up for a snack when I’m fighting. It’s going to be a short, brutal night. Count on it.”

Coceres has been stopped just once, in the 11th round challenging then-WBO 168-pound titlist Billy Joe Saunders for a belt in November 2019 in Los Angeles, and represents a step up in competition for Berlanga.

“Berlanga can say what he wants about making it a short night or whatever. The biggest talkers are usually the most insecure,” Coceres said. “I know what I bring to the table. I’ve been in there with the better fighters while he’s feasted on a diet of nobodies. In my mind, it won’t be an upset when I beat this kid. On Oct. 9, it is man versus boy, and that boy is in for a rude awakening.”

Williams (27-2-1, 16 KOs), 31, will face Vladimir Hernandez (12-4, 6 KOs), 24, a Mexico native fighting out of Denver, in a 10-rounder that will open the cable broadcast. The bout will be Williams’ first since Jeison Rosario knocked him out in the fifth round to take his unified title in front of Williams’ hometown Philadelphia fans in January 2020.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete on this amazing card,” Williams said. “I’m excited to be getting back in the ring and starting my journey back to the very top of the division.”

Said Hernandez: “I expect Julian Williams to be prepared like I am to give the fans a great fight. I have been doing nothing but staying ready and training since my last fight. I promise that I’m going to bring the action when that bell rings.”

The other preliminary bouts will also stream on ESPN+ and the Fox Sports App beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

The other preliminary bouts:

• Two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (7-1, 4 KOs), 27, a southpaw fighting out of Gulfport, Florida, against Puerto Rico’s Orlando Gonzalez (17-0, 10 KOs), 26, a Puerto Rican southpaw, in a 10-round featherweight fight.

• Heavyweight Viktor Faust (7-0, 5 KOs), 29, of Ukraine, versus Mike Marshall (6-1, 4 KOs), 33, of Danbury, Connecticut, in an eight-rounder.

• The pro debut of former U.S. amateur standout Bruce Carrington, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, in a four-round featherweight bout versus a foe to be determined.

• Southpaw junior welterweight Elvis Rodriguez (11-1-1, 10 KOs), 25, of the Dominican Republic, against Puerto Rican Victor Vazquez (11-5, 5 KOs), 25, in an eight-rounder. Rodriguez was released by Top Rank after losing his last fight in May and then signed with PBC.

iFL TV interview

I joined my friends at iFL TV to talk about several boxing topics. We took an in-depth look at Saturday’s fight between unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk as well as two other heavyweight fights: the third bout between champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder that is set for Oct. 9 and Dillian Whyte’s fight with Otto Wallin on Oct. 30. In addition, we chatted about the lack of American cards on DAZN over the past several months and a so-far thin fall schedule; Canelo Alvarez’s fight with Caleb Plant landing on Showtime PPV; the deal getting done for Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter; and some thoughts on the WBA reducing its number of titles. Please watch that video here:

BBC interview

I joined my pal Steve Bunce from England on his boxing podcast for the BBC. We talked about the lack of hype for Joshua-Usyk in the United States; the growing buzz for Fury-Wilder III; will we finally see Fury-Joshua for the undisputed heavyweight title if they both win their upcoming bouts; the changes in Wilder’s camp between the second fight with Fury and the upcoming fight; and the grotesque plan for Riddick Bowe to face Lamar Odom. Please give it a listen. My section of the podcast begins at 34 minutes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09wh2bz

Peltz: Promoter, matchmaker, author

Hall of Fame promoter and matchmaker J Russell Peltz, who has been in boxing for 52 years, has a lot of stories to tell and is sharing many of them in his new memoir, Thirty Dollars and a Cut Eye, which is out now and available via his website, Peltzboxing, and major book retailers.

The 404-page book chronicles Peltz’s first time watching fights on television at age of 12 in 1959 and takes readers through his decades in the business, during which he became a stalwart of the Philadelphia boxing scene, promoted over 1,000 events and put on more than 40 world title fights.

Peltz is also a lifetime collector and claims to have saved every contract he ever signed, all the fight programs, posters, videos and profit-and-loss statements from each event.

He recounts stories of working with fighters such as Marvelous Marvin Hagler (he promoted Hagler’s first two defeats), Bennie Briscoe, Jeff Chandler and Arturo Gatti; recounts events he put on in his main bases of Philadelphia and Atlantic City, New Jersey; and travels that took him to events around the world, including in Argentina, France, Italy and China.

“The book contains it all,” Peltz said. “The facts, the figures, and the finances. Nothing was off limits. I've spoken with over 30 men who boxed for me. Some of them had nice things to say. Others, not so much, but it's all in there. I'm as proud of this book as I am of anything I've ever done in boxing."

There is a party to launch the book, which also includes more than 60 photos — many of which Peltz said have never been published — on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. ET at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. The event is open to the public. In addition to signing copies of the book, Peltz will be screening some of the most memorable Philly-area fights from the past 50 years.

Hall of Fame time

In the coming weeks, the election cycle for the International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will begin. I always enjoy studying the ballots in each category but often wind up agonizing over my votes because there are so many worthy candidates and only so many votes allowed. Anyway, a reminder that the new voting cycle will soon be upon us showed in my mailbox a few days ago.

Quick hits

Jamal James will defend his secondary WBA welterweight belt against mandatory challenger Radzhab Butaev in the main event of an Oct. 30 Showtime card at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite on Tuesday. The co-feature is the previously reported fight between rising welterweight contender Jaron Ennis against gatekeeper Thomas Dulorme. The fight between James (27-1, 12 KOs), 33, of Minneapolis, and New York-based Russia native Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs), 27, was ordered by the WBA last week as part of a four-man box off to get the WBA down to only one titleholder. “Super” titlist Yordenis Ugas was ordered to defend against Eimantas Stanionis with the winner of that fight mandated to face the James-Butaev bout.

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Former super middleweight titlist Caleb Truax (31-5-2, 19 KOs), 37, of Saint Michael, Minnesota, withdrew Monday from an IBF title eliminator against Evgeny Shvedenko (15-0, 6 KOs), 31, a Russia native fighting out of Germany, that was signed and scheduled for Oct. 15 in Pforzheim, Germany. Truax at first cited the recent death of a friend as the reason for pulling out and later said it was because he was ill, according to Team Shvedenko. The fight was meant to produce the IBF mandatory challenger for the winner of the Nov. 6 Canelo Alvarez-Caleb Plant undisputed 168-pound title fight. It’s the second time Shvedenko has lost an opponent. He was slated to face Vladimir Shishkin in the eliminator July 3, but Shishkin got Covid-19 and it was canceled. Truax was the next available IBF contender willing to take the fight. Now, the IBF will again go through it rankings until somebody agrees to fight him.

Show and tell

Rocky Marciano, one of the greatest legends in boxing history, who retired with a revered final record of 49-0, knocked out fellow Hall of Famer Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round to win the heavyweight championship in their first fight in 1952. Marciano would go on to make six defenses, including beating Walcott in a rematch and notching two wins over HOFer Ezzard Charles. Marciano’s last defense, and the final fight of his career, was a ninth-round knockout of yet another Hall of Famer in Archie Moore. That fight took place on Sept. 21, 1955 — 66 years ago on Tuesday. Here is a Marciano rookie card from the iconic 1951 Topps Ringside set in my collection.

Smith photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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