Joe Smith Jr

A power puncher with a blue-collar background, Joe Smith Jr was born on September 20, 1989 and hails from Long Island, New York. He wasn’t considered the next big thing in boxing growing up, as he spent quite a few years working as a laborer on construction sites. However, his love for the sport and his skill led to his decision to give professional prizefighting a try just after he turned 20.

Smith Jr made his professional debut on October 31, 2009 against David Brown. The fight was short, as he ended up scoring a TKO in the very first round. His next fight was a first-round KO, followed by two more first-round TKOs. One thing was clear from the beginning – Joe Smith Jr had some serious power.

On June 26, 2010, he took on Walter Foster and won by way of TKO in the second round. The result was the same when he fought Charles Wade on July 28, 2010. However, his luck would change in his next fight on August 7, 2010, as he was stopped in the fourth-round by TKO by Eddie Caminero. At 6-3, Caminero was a bit of a step up from his previous opposition, but it was also likely that the frequency of his fights led to a down night.

Smith Jr took some time off after that, eventually making his comeback on July 30, 2011 against Santos Martinez. He went back to his winning ways with a KO in the second round. He followed that up with four more stoppage victories. He then had a streak of decisions, as he beat Hamid Abdul-Mateen by unanimous decision, Lamont Williams by split decision and Otis Griffin by unanimous decision.

That proved to be an anomaly, as he would stop Michael Gbenga after two rounds and then score four consecutive TKOs before beating Will Rosinsky by unanimous decision after 10 rounds of action. A second-round TKO over Fabiano Pena earned him the biggest fight of his life, against Andrzej Fonfara on June 18, 2016 for the WBC international light heavyweight title.

The fight was in hostile territory, Chicago, where Fonfara was a fan favorite. Joe Smith Jr came in as a huge underdog, as most felt he would be outclassed by Fonfara. He shocked everyone in attendance and watching worldwide when he came out working the body, and then went upstairs with a beautiful right hand to knock down Fonfara. A second powerful right hand resulted in another knockdown and the end of the fight, by way of TKO in the very first round.

Following up that exciting and impressive performance, he fought 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins on December 17, 2016 for the legendary boxer’s final fight. While Hopkins talked quite a bit of trash in the leadup to the fight, Smith Jr was unfazed and prepared to do his talking in the ring. The fight was close for the first seven rounds, but in the eighth, he landed a brutal combination of punches that knocked Hopkins out of the ring. When Hopkins couldn’t climb back in to beat the count due to an ankle injury, Joe Smith Jr became the first boxer to beat Hopkins by stoppage.

What is Joe Smith Jr's Record?

Joe Smith Jr's record currently stands at 28 wins, 3 loses and 0 draws. Of those 28 wins he has stopped 22 of his opponents, so his current knock-out ratio is 79%. Of his 3 loses, he's been stopped 1 time. He's boxed a total of 144 rounds, meaning his professional fights last 4.6 rounds on average.

What was Smith Jr's last fight?

Joe Smith Jr's last fight took place against Steve Geffrard's on 15th Jan 2022, in New York, United States. He won by knockout in the 9th round. That fight was 1 day ago.

How active is Joe Smith Jr?

Smith Jr's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 10 months and 7 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 6 months and 27 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 52 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 10.4 rounds on average.

What belts does Joe Smith Jr hold?

He won a vacant WBO World Light heavyweight belt against Maksim Vlasov, beating him by majority decision after 12 rounds on 10th April 2021. He has held this belt for a total of 281 days (9 months and 6 days) and has defended the belt 1 time. He is yet to make a mandatory defence of this belt.

Where is Joe Smith Jr From?

Smith Jr was born in the United States.

How Old Is Joe Smith Jr?

The light heavyweight is currently 32 years old. He was born on 20th September 1989, so he will turn 33 in 8 months and 4 days.

How long has Smith Jr been fighting?

Joe Smith Jr made his professional debut in October 2009, so he has been a pro for 12 years and 2 months.

How good is Joe Smith Jr?

Smith Jr is currently ranked 3rd by the The Ring at Light Heavyweight.

How tall is Joe Smith Jr?

Smith Jr is 6' 0" (6 Foot and 0 inches) which is 183cm (1 meter and 83 centimeters).

What stance does Joe Smith Jr use?

Smith Jr fights from a traditional orthodox stance, which means he favours his right hand as his power hand when fighting.

What are some potential opponents for Joe Smith Jr?

Some potential future fights for Smith Jr include Unified Super Middleweight Champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Callum Johnson, Anthony Yarde, Callum Smith and Dmitry Bivol.

What will be Joe Smith Jr's Next Fight?

Joe Smith Jr's doesn't currently have a fight scheduled.

Some potential future fights for Smith Jr include Unified Super Middleweight Champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Callum Johnson, Anthony Yarde, Callum Smith and Dmitry Bivol.

How can I stream Joe Smith Jr's Fights?

In the UK you can usually stream Smith Jr's fights on NowTV and Sky Go.

In the US you can usually stream Joe Smith Jr's fights via ESPN / ESPN 2 / FS1 via Hulu Live TV and ESPN APP.

What are some recent Joe Smith Jr results?

Smith Jr has beaten 3 of his last 5 opponents, stopping 2 of them, going the distance once.

In his last fight, he won against Jesse Hart on 11th January 2020 by split decision in their 10 round contest at Mark G. Etess Arena, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, New Jersey, United States.

Previous to that, he had been beaten by Dmitry Bivol on 9th March 2019 by unanimous decision in their WBA World Light Heavyweight championship fight at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, New York.

Going into that contest, he had lost to Sullivan Barrera on 15th July 2017 by unanimous decision in their 10 round contest at Forum, Inglewood.

Before that, he had won against Bernard Hopkins on 17th December 2016 by knockout in the 8th round at Forum, Inglewood.

He had beat Andrzej Fonfara on 18th June 2016 by technical knockout in the 1st round at UIC Pavilion, Chicago.