Dalton Smith Steps Up in Clash Against Jose Zepeda
Dalton Smith (15-0, 11 KOs) will take a step up in opposition when he faces Jose Zepeda (37-4, 28 KOs, 2 NCs) on Saturday.
The two super lightweights headline a Matchroom Boxing card at the Sheffield Arena. DAZN are the sole broadcaster for the March 23 event. Both men delivered statements on Thursday ahead of their clash. Below is some of what was said by both men.
Dalton Smith Faces Step-Up in Class Against Jose Zepeda
Dalton Smith
“We haven’t looked at Jose as a sliding fighter,” said Smith. “He’s only lost at world level, none of those losses have been on the way down. That’s why we took this fight and we’ve prepared for the best of Jose; he’s only interested in the biggest fights so his career is on the line in this fight and it’s a step-up for me and the opportunity to propel my career onto the world level.”
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“It’s a jump in class but you’ve seen the level that I’ve progressed through, I’ve been ready for that level for probably two fights now, so this is the perfect time for me now to propel myself and chase those bigger things. I’m confident, I’ve had one of the best camps of my career, so the fans are in for a treat in this fight.”
Jose Zepeda
“I am in great shape,” said Zepeda. “I’ve been here before when I fought for the world championship in 2017 against Terry Flanagan. That was a bad experience, but I was happy when they told me about this fight, and thank you to Dalton’s team for the opportunity, I’m glad to take it and all I’m looking for in this fight is the fourth opportunity for a world title. Dalton is a young fighter stepping up because he wants to see if he’s at the top level, and I guess we’re going to have to see on Saturday. There’s no need to talk a lot, everyone that knows my career knows I give it my all inside the ring, so I will do the same on Saturday and I’m happy to be here and enjoying every moment.”
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“Everyone finds out when they step up a level. I remember when I fought Jose Ramirez, it was the first time that I boxed at the top level and in the first round, as soon as I threw the jab, I knew that I was in there on another level. I think he’s going to find out soon and I give him and his team props for jumping this high and if he believes it, well, we’re going to see on Saturday.”
Fight Prediction
While Zepeda is more experienced, it has been some time since he had a standout performance. He will be the best opponent Smith has fought until now. The Englishman will have a height advantage, and Matchroom would not be matching him against Zepeda if they were not confident in their fighter. Fight fans should expect Zepeda to give his opponent the toughest fight of his career. However, Big Fight Weekend sees Smith getting the unanimous decision win.
Full Press Conference
For the full press conference featuring Smith, Zepeda and more, click here or the play button below. Video courtesy of Matchroom Boxing.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
