Dodson - 'Me v Smith is the biggest fight Liverpool has ever seen'

It's the last chance saloon. When Tony Dodson challenges British super-middleweight Paul Smith he knows, at the end of a long career, this is make or break. The fight, which takes place at the Echo Arena on March 12th has all the hallmarks of a fight of the year candidate. A local derby between two cross city rivals who know that great things could await the winner, and for Dodson at least, an acknowledgement that defeat could make him 'yesterday's man' in many people's eyes.

BoxRec News was lucky enough to attend the press conference on Thursday, where the fighters met for the first time. As soon as the presser began you knew the night was going to be the biggest think to hit Liverpool's boxing scene since Neary-Holligan, or even the halcyon days of Paul 'Hoko' Hodkinson. Also in attendance was Tony Bellew, who will be getting a commonwealth title shot on the bill, maybe against Courtney Fry, and the other Smith brothers, Liam and Stephen, quality fighters in their own right. After the proceedings had finished, I got the pleasure of meeting up with both the major protagonists, the first one being the hard punching, tough talking Dodson.

Dodson, as most of us know won the British belt as far back as 2003 when he stopped Allan Foster in eleven rounds. It would be a title he never lost in the ring as a car crash and resulting injuries forced him to vacate. Subsequent shots against Carl Froch and Tony Quigley resulted in ultimate faliure, as he himself says, not many people get four cracks at a British crown. This is a big time in his life and you would forgive him for being anxious.

I was pleased to find him in a rather jovial mood. It was if he knew that the cards had fallen nicely for him, with Smith giving a voluntary shot. If this was to be a last hurrah, he was going to take this opportunity with both hands. This is the fight he wanted, he had a chance of taking on Charles Adamu for the Commonwealth belt but wanted the bigger fight and the bigger scalp. Everything had turned out perfectly.

In the conference it came to light that Tony had texted Smith on the morning after the Quigley fight (where Paul claimed the title). His text had basically called 'Smigga' out, stating that 'business was business' and that he 'deserved a shot and wasn't going to stop until he got it.' This move, though arguably effective has caused a bit of bad blood between the pair, or at least from Smith to Dodson. Tony explains.

“To be honest, when I texted Paul, I was maybe a bit over-enthusiastic about getting the fight. I was excited by seeing the crowd and watching him versus Quigley. He didn't take take it too nice and he was offended. I never did it to disrespect him. I just wanted a piece of him and know I can beat him.”

We should never lose sight however, that Paul Smith is supposed to win. He is Frank Warren's star, ever since he captured a silver medal at the 2002 commonwealth games(losing to class act Jean Pascal in the final) A relatively slow burning career exploded into life when he defeated fellow Liverpudlian Tony Quigley in a messy scrap earlier this year. As previously stated will, Quigley won his title against Tony Dodson. Despite being a mile behind on points, Quigley stopped a tiring Dodson in the final round. But questions still remain on just how good Paul Smith is? Can he really fulfil that amateur potential? Tony has his own opinions.

“I think he's overrated, he hasn't achieved what they expected him to achieve. But you don't get to where he is by not having talent. He only looks good when you let him look good. I will do what I need to do to win. I'm bigger than him and I'm stronger than him. He got bullied by Quigley, I bullied Quigley, that's the way it goes.

Despite the personal battle Tony Dodson must overcome, he is under no illusion what this will bring the the City. This wonderful place, home to the Beatles and once capital of Culture, has had to sit by as bitter rivals Manchester became the home of British boxing. Dodson however knows that something big is about to happen.

“This is the biggest fight that Liverpool has ever seen. As I told everyone, the only reason that people turned out for the Smith-Quigley fight was because Quigley was there, and because of that war I had with him and they thought they were going to see it again, butt it didn't happen, the styles didn't gel, this is going to be one hell of a fight.

That fight was last March, and by the time Dodson steps into the rig, intent on ripping away that title, he will have been out of the ring for nearly a year. A proviso of the contract was that he didn't take a warm up, so that this huge event wasn't risked. An issue that may have troubled many a fighter, but not the veteran Dodson.

“I ain't worried at all, if you spend your time worrying about little things like that it wears you down, makes you nervous. I'm too experienced to worry about not having a warm up. To be honest the rest did me good, my eyes were ripped apart after the Quigley fight and I needed time for them to repair. To be fair Paul has never had a war like the one I had with Quigley. The amount of punches I threw was the equivalent of a featherweight.”

Hard fights like that take a lot out of a fighter, and a lot has been said on the forums regarding what Tony has left after a long hard career. Such comments completely dis-interest Dodson who is just focusing on fight night.

“They can say what they want, on March 12th it will be a different story. It will be a great night.”

I half expected some big words to end the interview, a challenge, something to get the Smith juices boiling. All I got was a professional attitude from a fighter who has studied his opponent and feels he will win, that this is his time. If Dodson can carry this level headed approach into the ring, as well as his famed power and strength, then Paul Smith is for one hell of a struggle come fight night.