Launceston’s Wes Smith will be juggling fighting with farming ahead of his second pro outing next month.
The sheep farmer has a busy couple of months ahead of him with lambing season underway but he will have to balance sheering with boxing as he is set to appear on BCB Promotions’ ‘Mayhem’ show, at the Plymouth Guildhall on Saturday, 6th May, sponsored by Grosvenor Casino Plymouth.
The 24 year-old pugilist got off to the perfect start in the same venue on his debut in October last year when he recorded a stoppage victory against Czech fighter Jan Korec and he is ready to build on that success this time around.
“Training is going well,” he told bcb-promotions.com. “We are still a little way off yet but not too far and everything is going to plan, I haven’t really stopped training.
“Managing my time is fine too although it’s a bit hectic at the minute with the lambing season! I can work my boxing schedule around my farming. It is quite flexible like that. It is a busy time of year but that won’t affect my training for this fight. I will be doing the lambing outside through the day and there will be a lot of work to be done but it won’t change anything and I will just work around it. I will get through it and doing all that will make me fitter. I have done it all my life and through the amateurs so it will just be second nature to me.
“I was very happy with my debut. It all went very well. I think I rushed it a little bit but it was my first fight so you expect that. Once I settle down like I will in the next one it will all come together. It was great to get the stoppage in my first fight, hopefully that will continue throughout my career and I can get a high knockout percentage, because that is the type of fighter I want to be.
“I think getting the first fight out of the way will definitely help me to relax now going into the next ones. I know exactly what it is like now and what to expect so I will be much more focused this next time and I think you will see the benefits of that when I get in the ring. I want a tough fight in this next one. I want to practice on a few things and I want to be able to show off what I have worked on against a capable opponent. I want a challenge and hopefully someone can come in and give me a test.”
The welterweight was scheduled to fight in February but he had to pull out with a sore shoulder. Smith is adamant that the injury is now healed and he is looking forward to getting back in the Guildhall and fighting on a home show.
“I had a bad shoulder in February so I had to pull out,” he confirmed. “The injury has already gone now so that is fine and it won’t stop me in my preparations at all. I love it in the Guildhall. It is a really nice place to box and it’s great that it is so close to where I live. It is about 15 miles away from me so that is fine. There is always a good crowd there and that makes it a good atmosphere.”
Plymouth lightweight, Des Newton, tops the Mayhem bill as he defends his British Challenge Lightweight Title against Gloucester’s Andy ‘Hurricane’ Harris.
Plymouth duo – super middleweight, Cristian Hoskin-Gomez, and lightweight, Darren Townley, Launceston bantamweight, Marcus Hodgson, Cornwall cruiserweight, Marcus Kelly, and debutants Louis Aitken and Jordan Platt complete the card.
Tickets for Mayhem are £30 or £50 Ringside and are available by calling: 07958 398 355. Doors open at 6:30pm with boxing commencing at 7:30pm at Plymouth Guildhall, Armada Way, Plymouth, PL1 2AA.
The weigh-in and Aftershow Party (over 18’s only) take place at Grosvenor Casino Plymouth, Derry’s Cross, Plymouth, PL1 2SW (just a two-minute walk from the Guildhall).
Find out more about Grosvenor Casino Plymouth here: http://www.grosvenorcasinos.com/local-casinos/plymouth/
