Photo by: Premier Boxing Champions

Joe Smith Jr. was nearly perfect on Saturday night. With one exception.

Smith destroyed heavily favored Andrzej Fonfara in the first round, jolting an audience who likely had never heard of the quiet 26-year-old Long Island resident. Smith, a 25-1 to underdog, executed the game plan perfectly, jumping on Fonfara early “to get his respect,” according to trainer Jerry Capobianco.

But Smith’s performance after the bout left a lot to be desired. “He couldn’t pee right away,” Capobianco said with a laugh of the post-fight urine test. “I guess he was so excited. So we got delayed about an hour after everybody left. And by the time we got back to the hotel it was almost last call.”

Smith’s camp, which includes promoter Joe DeGuardia, matchmaker Ron Katz and Jerry’s brother Phil, will be tasked with making another call — what to do with Smith next. Jerry Capobianco wouldn’t mind a title shot with WBC champion Adonis Stevenson, believing the Haitian-born boxer is too old and slow for Smith (22-1, 18 knockouts).

“To me, I think Joe is stronger, he’s faster and Stevenson is 38 years old,” Capobianco told RingTV.com. “I’m sure he’s declining a little bit and Joe is getting a little stronger. Joe is getting a little more mature and (Stevenson) is getting older. He knows he’s stronger than Stevenson because Stevenson couldn’t do what Joe did,” he said, referring to Stevenson out-pointing Fonfara in 2014.

There’s no rematch clause in the contract with Fonfara, Capobianco said. If they did fight again, he believes it would just be a repeat of the first fight. The NBC-televised main event was stopped at 2:32 of the opening frame at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Although if the price is right and Fonfara wanted to trek to New York, they would give Fonfara a rematch, he says.

“Joe really never made any money with boxing yet as of now,” Capobianco said. “From here on in, I’m sure he will. If things are right, I don’t think he would mind a rematch with Fonfara. If it was in New York, if he came here to the Barclays Center, it would be great. But I think it would still be the same outcome. He’s just too strong. If he were to fight him again, he would knock him out again.”

Capobianco doesn’t feel the same way with unified champion Sergey Kovalev, however. In a perfect world, Capobianco wouldn’t mind for Smith to have a few more fights under his belt before he challenges another top contender or champion.

“If it was against Kovalev, I would say we can have a couple of fights before Kovalev,” Capobianco said. “If think if it’s Stevenson? I think Joe would do real well with Stevenson. If it’s that other guy from German (Juergen Braehmer), I think Joe ought to knock him out. I think it depends on who it was. I wouldn’t mind a couple of fights. He’s only 26 years old. He has a couple years to grow but every fight he’s getting better.”

A number of prominent writers slammed the match-up with Fonfara beforehand, arguing that Smith didn’t deserve a primetime slot on NBC because of a resume that lacked recognizable names.

“He went from people saying he doesn’t deserve the fight to a star,” Capobianco said. “We knew he belonged there. Now the whole world can see. I don’t think people will ever question if he belongs in a fight of that caliber again. I think Joe will get the respect and recognition of a top contender. He didn’t beat him. He destroyed him.”

Mitch Abramson is a former reporter for the New York Daily News and can be reached on Twitter at: @Mabramson13.