British super-middleweight champion Paul Smith has branded bitter city rival Tony Dodson a “clown” as tension rises ahead of their big March 12 clash. Dodson has repeatedly bad-mouthed former friend and sparring partner Smith. But now the 27-year-old champion has fired back, claiming that Dodson is running scared. Smith made his comments as he did a photo-call at the Echo Wheel of Liverpool this morning. “He’s just a clown, he’s got to shout his mouth off to boost his own confidence,” said Smith, who makes the first defence of his belt at the Echo Arena live on Sky Sports 1. Tony could talk the hind leg off a donkey if he wanted to, but as the old saying goes, it’s the emptiest vessels that make the most noise..
“He said he would smash Carl Froch, he said he would smash Tony Quigley and now he is saying he’s going to smash me.
“But the truth is that he has got a bad confidence problem and always has done. He’s got to talk up his chances because he doesn’t believe in himself, and he knows that I know that.
“That combined with his chin means there is only one winner in this fight and that’s me.
“I’ve never been so disrespected by a fighter, but it only acts as motivation.
“Dodson has been constantly running me down, but he was the one who started it, saying on radio that I wasn’t good enough to fight him.
“I went on the same show and said that I would beat him and Tony Quigley on the same night, which I still believe would happen. I’ve beaten Quigley, now it’s Dodson’s turn.
“I’ve had a quite training camp, but whenever I’ve gone out in Liverpool I’ve had people coming up to me saying ‘Just shut that lippy bastard up’.”
This is the second fight in succession where Smith has been involved in a local derby after beating Quigley on points to lift his Lonsdale belt.
But he says he is relishing the all-scouse rivalry.
“I didn’t really have much of a problem with Quigley, but this one is more personal,” he said.
“Fighting someone from your own city puts a bit more pressure on you to perform, but everyone in Liverpool is buzzing at the moment and I can’t wait for the first bell.”
Tony Dodson: I’m The Adrian Mole Of Boxing!
British super-middleweight title challenger Tony Dodson has revealed he is the Adrian Mole of boxing. And the diary keeping scouser says he is 29 and three quarters – and aiming for a spectacular KO victory over Paul Smith on March 12. Dodson meets his Liverpool rival at the Echo Arena on a Frank Warren promoted card next month, and is making sure he’s in the shape of his life by keeping a diary of every thing he does in training. “As much as I dislike Carl Froch, it’s something I decided to do after fighting him,” said Dodson.
“His dedication is fantastic and I realised that I could match it by recording everything I do in training camp just like him.
“Now I write down every morsel of food that I eat, every ounce of weight I lose or put on and every sit up and press up I do in the gym.
“I kept a diary before I fought Tony Quigley, and it helped me get in probably the best shape I have ever been.
“I hardly put a foot wrong that night, I just got caught in the last round when I was nearly over the finishing line.
“I’ve been following the same training routine for the Smith fight, but just lifting everything by five or 10 per cent.
“I’ve bettered the exercises that I did ahead of Quigley, sparred more rounds, thrown more punches and run more miles. This time there is no way that I can lose.
“Come March 12 I’m planning one final entry for my fight diary – ‘British super-middleweight champion’.
“I promise everyone, the shape that I am in at the moment, Paul Smith won’t be able to beat me.”
Tickets for ‘The Pride of Merseyside’ are priced at £40, £50, £100, £150 and £200 and are available from:
Liverpool Echo Arena Box Office
0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com
See Tickets
0871 2200 260
www.seetickets.com