Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
‘Sugar Shay’ ready for first fight of new deal
Middleweight Ishe Smith is lining up his maiden bout after
signing a promotional deal with Prizefight last week and admits that inactivity
had made him angry at the sport he loves as he found it hard to stay active
within boxing.
Smith, at 33, still has plenty of fights left in the tank, but
had a blank 2011 and in all has fought just four times in almost three years. ‘Sugar
Shay’ is now planning a busy coming year with his new contract and intends to seek out
opportunities from 154lb to 160lbs in the coming months.
“I am hoping to fight thre times this year and I will be
campaigning at 160, although I can still make 154 and whatever brings me the
best opportunity will be where I start,” Smith told World Boxing News.
“I think the sky's the limit with Prizefight Promotions. I
think we could get a title shot this year and the fact that I can fight 160lb
or 154lb makes the options a lot better for us.
“I am just really blessed. God has really watched out for me
and I had no idea this was all going to happen. 2012 has been great thus far with
having a son due next month and then I'm returning to the ring.
“I'm excited and glad God touched this whole situation and
to Brian Young and the whole Prizefight staff - I'm grateful for all of them. I
won't let them down or myself. I have to fight mad and fight hard. I deserve
better out of this game and I am mad at her right now.
“All my opponents will feel my anger and I know my fights
have to be great fights. I've challenged myself to put the best Ishe out there
for the fans and I promise I will do it,” he added.
The American hopes to fight sometime in the spring on the
back of his last bout in November 2010, in which he stopped Alexander Quiroz in
the second round and a win over a named opponent could get the former Contender
star back into a decent placing in the middleweight ranks.
The Las Vegas-based fighter has never been stopped in his 27
contests in meeting some of the bigger names both in the light-middleweight and
middleweight divisions, with recent standout contests against Daniel Jacobs,
Fernando Guerrero and Pawel Wolak to name three.
Smith had been involved in a war of words with up and comer
Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin in 2011 and it will be interesting to
see if he can position himself in with a chance of fighting 26-0 prospect, who
seems only one or two fights away from a world title shot.