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Promoter eyeing Joe Smith vs. Adonis Stevenson in NY

(Photo: Amanda Kwok)
Fighters Network
20
Dec

The obvious move is to make an all-Long Island match-up between Joe Smith Jr. and Seanie Monaghan on April 29 at the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum. Smith (23-1, 19 knockouts) is suddenly a hot ticket after he knocked out Bernard Hopkins Saturday in his farewell bout.

Star Boxing’s Joe DeGuardia pictures a sellout with locales cheering for either Monaghan (28-0, 17 KOs) or Smith. But the Bronx-based DeGuardia, who handles Smith, has another idea: A fight between Smith and light heavyweight titleholder Adonis Stevenson to open the indoor arena in Uniondale, Long Island. It doesn’t matter if the WBC has already mandated that Stevenson face the winner of Lucian Bute vs. Eleider Alvarez on April 29. Those plans could change, DeGuardia suggested.

“Absolutely Adonis Stevenson is still an option,” DeGuardia told RingTV.com on Monday. “The WBC, who I have a lot of respect in (president) Mauricio Sulaiman — and I expect that he would recognize that if the parties were to agree otherwise, that this fight transcends many different things. And to be able to have a world championship fight in New York for Adonis Stevenson would be something spectacular.”

DeGuardia said he isn’t married to doing Smith’s next fight at Nassau Coliseum, even if Smith referenced opening the venue on social media and promoter Lou DiBella, who is closely aligned with Stevenson’s advisor Al Haymon, has a hold on the venue for April 29. DeGuardia mentioned the Long island site, as well as Madison Square Garden and also Barclays Center as candidates to host Stevenson-Smith or Monaghan-Smith match-ups if they happen. “There are tremendous possibilities out there for him,” DeGuardia said of Smith. “I’m going to explore every single one of them and I’m going to make a decision that’s in the best interest of Joe Smith and his future and obviously, concurrent with that, Star Boxing’s future.”



Smith and Monaghan have a history together. They met in the 178-pound novice finals of the New York Golden Gloves in 2008. In one of the more entertaining amateur bouts of the time, Smith turned from puncher to boxer and tamed the hard-charging Monaghan to win a unanimous decision.

“A fight like that would be such a throwback — like a Gatti-Ward type fight,” DeGuardia said. “Two Irishman going at it, who are homegrown from New York. To be able to make that fight is another fight that Joe has the potential to go into. It would be phenomenal because you would not be able to get a ticket. It would be something special.”

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