Rocky Fielding believes he can “do damage” to Callum Smith

Rocky Fielding

Rocky Fielding is going into his all-Liverpool showdown with fellow unbeaten super-middleweight Callum Smith full of confidence.

The pair will meet at the Echo Arena on November 7 for the British title, which Callumโ€™s older brother, Paul, vacated.

While some, including Callum himself, claim Smith is the better fighter entering the contest, Fielding insists he holds the edge.

โ€œI donโ€™t think heโ€™s a level above me. Yeah, itโ€™s a good 50-50 fight but Iโ€™m the better fighter,โ€ he told Boxing News.

โ€œWith his step ups, [Nikola] Sjekloca and [Christopher] Rebrasse, heโ€™s gone 12 rounds whereas with my step ups, [Noe Gonzalez] Alcoba and [Brian] Vera, Iโ€™ve knocked them out. Every time he has to make 12 stone he goes the distance, every time I have to make 12 stone Iโ€™ve knocked them out.

โ€œRebrasse caught him with a lot of shots but Rebrasse canโ€™t punch. If I hit him with those shots, I can do damage, I know that.โ€

Having trained alongside each other at the Rotunda gym as amateurs, there is history between the two but both have noted there is no personal rivalry – it is strictly business.

โ€œThereโ€™s no bad blood there, weโ€™re just both unbeaten fighters from the same city and we both want to be world champions,โ€ Fielding said.

โ€œThereโ€™s nothing bad to say about him, he just has the same ambitions as me so itโ€™s going to be a good fight.

โ€œWeโ€™ve been in the amateurs and sparred but itโ€™s totally different now. I watched him in the amateurs and as a pro, he does what he does but I canโ€™t see any change in his style from what he had in the amateurs, he just has a bit more power now.

โ€œThere are things that Iโ€™ve seen that we can take advantage of, what heโ€™s good at and his weaknesses.โ€

With both holding lofty rankings with several governing bodies, there are those that feel Smith and Fielding are taking a large risk in facing each other so early in their careers, but Rocky disagrees.

โ€œItโ€™s a good fight at the right time in our careers. I want to get my chance to fight for a world title, no matter if I have to fight Callum or anyone else to get it,โ€ he mused.

โ€œItโ€™s a good fight for the city, everyoneโ€™s talking about it. It was going to happen no matter what, this year, next year, in two years, because everyone wants to see it.โ€

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