| UNBEATEN MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDER Caoimhin Agyarko will take on Jez Smith live from the BT Studio on Friday night in the third of Frank Warren’s post-lockdown summer series.Heading up the show is the tasty looking light heavyweight collision between Lyndon Arthur and Dec Spelman with the Commonwealth title at stake in a fight where sparks are certain to fly. Agyarko and Smith coming together is also a combustible cocktail containing mostly pure aggression and come forward intent from both fighters. Agyarko (6-0), known as Black Thunder, recognises this domestic dust-up as his first big test, while Smith (11-1-1) acknowledges this is his time to shine in stepping up to middleweight for a golden opportunity to kickstart his career. “Jez Smith is a decent opponent so I am looking forward to it,” said the 23-year-old from Belfast. “I have been wanting someone who will come and fight, someone who will throw back and leave openings. Someone who will test me as well, so this could be it. “He has never fought at middleweight before, but he carries a bit of power for a welterweight and has five stoppages from his 11 wins. I’ll not be taking anything for granted. Regardless of whether he is a welterweight or not, I am taking it as my toughest fight to date and I am going to put on a good performance. “Obviously I would have preferred a middleweight with a good record but nobody wanted to step up to the plate at this moment in time. Fair play to Jez for taking this fight and I am sure he will be out to prove everybody wrong and cause an upset. “This is a stepping stone for me, a domestic dust-up and what I’ve been calling for. I am looking forward to getting the job done and moving on to bigger and better things.” Smith, from Harrow, is undaunted by the mission of stepping up in weight and views the fight as his potential passport back to the big stage he operated on during his prospect phase. “I’d been preparing for a fight in Belarus and working hard, but I didn’t know what was going on with travel quarantine,” said Smith, the younger brother of former WBO European champion Mitchell. “So I put my name out there in case anything came up and then I got a message from my trainer saying we’ve been offered a fight at middleweight. “I was going to fight between light middle and middle in Belarus so I said to myself it is just an extra few pounds and I believe I am big enough. To be honest with you, I look at Agyarko and I don’t think he is a middleweight. “I believe he is not massive at the weight and, if he wanted to, he could do a lower weight. He is quite chunky but it doesn’t faze me and I believe I am strong enough and I spar bigger lads all the time. “I can fight, I can box and, I’ll tell you one thing for sure, I am not coming in as a body. I am coming to win and he is going to get a tough night’s work. “It is a massive opportunity for me. It is on BT Sport and if I put on a massive performance and turn him over it opens up a huge door for me. “I am not saying I am going to fight at middleweight from now on, it is just a fight I believe I hold my own in. I believe I can win. I am not being unrealistic because I don’t think he is a world-beater. I’ve watched him and he is a good fighter, but I am believe I am too and I can’t wait to get in there. “If people go off my last performance then more fool them.” Also featuring on the card is the exciting Liverpool trio of Nick Ball, Andrew Cain and Brad Strand from the Everton Red Triangle gym. 11-0 featherweight Ball takes on the 6-0 Jerome Campbell from Kingsbury.Live coverage on BT Sport 1 begins at 7pm on Friday. |
