DALTON Smith has the opportunity to claim the vacant European super-lightweight title, but the matchup – at least on paper – does very little to whet the appetite.
The 27-year-old will take on little-known Frenchman Walid Ouizza, 19-2 (8 KOs), this Saturday, headlining a Matchroom card at the Nottingham Arena, England.
And yet, despite coming off a career-best performance against Jose Zepeda, securing a fifth-round stoppage victory over the seasoned operator, Smith, 16-0 (12 KOs), will take a sideways step – if that – rather than pushing on towards world level.
The fight that every British fan wants to see, of course, is Smith against Adam Azim, another unbeaten talent at 140 lbs. But while Azim continues his rise on a different trajectory, it seems as though Smith’s progression is being somewhat stalled.
At one stage, ‘Thunder’ was widely considered to be a fair distance ahead of his domestic rival, with many claiming that ‘The Assassin’ was not ready for such a formidable test.
But now, it appears that both combatants are more or less at the same level, seemingly representing the perfect time for their showdown to take place.
Smith, however, must remain focused on his next assignment, regardless of how much of a favourite he is to take care of business in scintillating fashion.
That said, the Brit could be forgiven for lacking a sense of urgency against an opponent who, stylistically, offers very little by way of creativity and physicality.
Even since his two earlier defeats against, well, a questionable level of opposition, Ouizza has failed to set the world alight with his performances.
Adopting a fairly basic and somewhat predictable approach, the 33-year-old tends to march into range with a typical earmuff guard, lacking in variety and impetus both from a defensive and offensive perspective.
Smith, on the other hand, boxes with a rhythmic fluidity that only fighters at the top level seem to possess. More than that, it is fair to say that he has Ouizza gunned down in every department where athleticism is concerned, with advantages in speed, power and agility all swinging in his favour.
At the same time, though, his opponent will take plenty of confidence from the fact that he has never been stopped, indicating that, while Smith is likely to produce a destructive display, he may be forced to settle with a wide victory on points.
