Notebook: Joe Smith on title shot: 'I just train because there is nothing else to do'

Davis going pro on Canelo card; Warrington, Aleem updates

Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Light heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. will soon wind down his training camp as he prepares to fight Russia’s Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) for a vacant light heavyweight world title in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Feb. 13 (10 p.m. ET) inside the bubble of the conference center of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Despite limitations due to the coronavirus pandemic, Smith (26-3, 21 KOs), 31, said camp for his second world title opportunity – he lost a decision challenging Dmitry Bivol in March 2019 – has been business as usual.

"I just train because there is nothing else to do,” said Smith, who is from New York’s Long Island. “I can't go to the movies. I can't go bowling. So, while I sit at home there are no distractions, that's for sure. As far as conditioning, I do a lot outside and at home. As far as sparring, my sparring partner and his coach come down and opens their gym for us. It is one on one, and no one else is around.

“Anybody is a dangerous opponent, but I am confident that I am preparing the right way for a tough fight. I know Vlasov is a busy fighter so I will come into this fight in great shape.”

In this camp, Smith has sparred with heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki, UFC fighter Randy Brown and junior middleweight and Star Boxing stalemate Wendy Toussaint.

Coming off the loss to Bivol, Smith bounced back very well with a pair of notable victories in 2020, outpointing contender Jesse Hart 13 months ago and knocking out former world titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in the ninth round in August. The wins were impressive enough to snag Smith a fighter of the year nomination from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Keyshawn Davis pro debut

A week after being removed from the United States qualification team for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo due to an undisclosed “violation of the USA Boxing Athlete Selection Procedures,” junior welterweight Keyshawn Davis is going pro.

As expected, Davis, 21, of Norfolk, Virginia, who was a silver medalist at the 2019 world amateur championships and a gold medalist at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, will make his professional debut on the undercard of unified super middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez’s mandatory defense against Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 (DAZN and PPV) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announced on Monday.

“I am so blessed to have the opportunity to have my long-awaited pro debut featured on the Canelo undercard,” Davis said. “Thank you to the team at Matchroom. I have been working diligently my entire career for my moment on Feb. 27. This truly feels like a dream come true. My 22nd birthday is Feb. 28. My win against my opponent will be the best birthday gift to date. My time is now. I am who and what they have been waiting for.”

Davis has not signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, but the company hopes to sign him and agreed to put him on the show.

“I’m delighted to have such a special talent in Keyshawn Davis make his pro debut on the Canelo card,” Hearn said. “Keyshawn is one of the hottest young fighters in the States and is bound to be a big hit in the pro ranks. Davis has the world at his feet and it’s great for him to start his journey on the undercard of the pound-for-pound king, Canelo.”

Warrington gears up

Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

While Josh Warrington may have recently vacated his featherweight world title rather than abide by the results of the purse bid for a rematch with mandatory challenger Kid Galahad, he still has to win his upcoming bout to keep alive the prospect of a title bout against Xu Can or Gary Russell Jr., the two opponents he is targeting.

“The next fight is always the most important one,” Warrington said. “You can’t afford to slip up. For my legacy as a fighter, I want to be known as someone who went in there and beat the best. This is the pinnacle of my career. Nobody in the boxing world ever thought I’d get to this stage. All of the big fights are there in front of me. I’m ready to take on the bigger names.”

First, however, England’s Warrington (30-0, 7 KOs), 30, who has not fought in 16 months, has to defeat Mauricio Lara (21-2, 14 KOs), 22, of Mexico, in a scheduled 12-rounder on Feb. 13 (DAZN in the U.S., Sky Sports in the U.K.) at the SSE Arena, Wembley in London.

“It’s going to be good to get back. It has been mentally testing,” Warrington said of the layoff primarily caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “There’s been dates that have changed many times. It’s been last April, then last May, last June, last August, last October and last December. It won’t feel like I’m back until I step through them ropes. It won’t feel like I’m back until that first bell rings. It’s been frustrating but now I’m ready to go.”

Warrington said it is going to be odd fighting without spectators, a big change from having fought many hometown bouts in front of full houses.

“For the last six or seven years, I’ve headlined shows in Leeds and Manchester. I’ve always boxed in front of big numbers,” he said. “When I first came through, it was smaller crowds on the small hall scene. I’ve had a taste of that, but I’ve got used to fighting in front of those big numbers. I’d say it wasn’t until September that I kind of thought to myself it might have to be behind closed doors. I kept on thinking, ‘We can wait a little bit longer for the crowds to be back.’ For me, when I come out of those doors, I turn and I look to the crowd. I get in the ring and I look down to all of the people around the ringside and up in the stands. I meet them eye to eye and then I know it’s on. They’re there with me. During the fight I can feel the passion and feel the energy. They’re not just any fans; my fans are f------ crazy!

“Without them there, it’s going to be different. I understand that. But ultimately, when that first bell rings, I’ve got a man in front of me who’s trying to stop me from going where I want to be, trying to take food out of my mouth, my kids’ mouth. I have to just focus on beating that man and moving on. For the last couple of months, I’ve been visualizing what it will be like to walk out in the empty auditorium.”

Aleem eyes world title shot

Photo: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Junior featherweight Ra’eese “The Beast” Aleem (18-0, 12 KOs), who impressively dropped Victor Pasillas four times en route to an 11th-round knockout to win a vacant interim belt on Jan. 23 on Showtime, wants a shot at a more significant title.

“I am 30 years old and coming off the biggest win of my career,” Aleem said. “I want a shot at a world title. I have earned it. I have come up the hard way and I have made it to the top of the sport. Now I want to face one of these guys who say they're the best.”

Murodjon Akhmadaliev holds two world titles, Luis Nery and Stephen Fulton hold belts and Brandon Figueroa has a secondary title. They are all opponents Aleem said he is interested in facing with all but Akhmadaliev with Premier Boxing Champions, as is Aleem.

“I need to get back soon and I want all the smoke with everybody,” the Las Vegas-based Aleem said. “Whether it is MJ (Akhmadaliev), Luis Nery, Stephen Fulton or Brandon Figueroa, I want one of them next. I think the Brandon Figueroa makes the most sense because he’s with PBC and he’s standing in my way (as secondary titlist to Aleem’s interim belt). That would be an exciting fight that I know the fans would want to see, not to mention Showtime would love to televise that fight.

“I want to fight the best, and I feel I have earned my shot. Now it is up to the champions to face me. All boxing fans know I am a deserving challenger. Let’s give the fans want they want and that’s action packed fights, which is exactly what I bring.”

Show and tell

Most of my boxing collection consists of posters, programs and cards but there are also so many other items of all kinds, big and small, including this one. It’s really cool — literally. It’s a limited edition full-size cooler (with bottle opener attached!) that the fine folks at Tecate, which sponsored the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin mega fight in 2017, sent me in conjunction with the promotion. Naturally, I also have the plastic cups they produced to serve beer in on fight night. In fact, the cooler is filled with many of the cups I have collected from numerous fights over the years.