JON Fernandez has no points travelling to combat for the European title. Furthermore, he’s drawing inspiration from the exploits of a heavy-handed Spanish legend who loved loads of success on UK and Irish shores through the years.
After Matchroom Boxing gained the bid to stage the vacant European title combat between Jon and Dalton Smith, a September date will possible be introduced shortly. Fernandez will arrive as a harmful puncher, similar to ‘La Sensacion’ Kiko Martinez.
“I’ve no downside in any respect going to Sheffield or going overseas for the combat. We’ve had the expertise with Kiko Martinez, who’s on the identical staff as all of us. They’d the nice win in opposition to [Kid] Galahad, so not an issue,” Fernandez informed Boxing Information.
Steadily stepping up the degrees, in Dalton Smith’s final combat, he appeared spectacular, breaking down and taking out Jose Zepeda. Whereas the previous world-level campaigner continues to be a menace, Zepeda is probably not carrying the identical menace of years passed by.
“Dalton’s an excellent fighter, an excellent operator and he had an excellent efficiency in opposition to Zepeda. I do assume Zepeda was a bit excessive,” opined Fernandez.
“He had excellent wins prior to now, however it’s going to be check for myself to combat Dalton and go to his yard. It’s additionally going to be an excellent and fascinating check for Dalton to combat me, to see the place he’s at level-wise.”
Dalton Smith lands a proper on Jose Zepeda throughout their super-lightweight combat at Utilita Space Sheffield on March 23, 2024 in Sheffield, England (George Wooden/Getty Photos)
Fernandez was final seen defeating former WBA world champion Jezreel Corrales over 10 rounds. Describing the Panamanian as a slippery buyer and an skilled, difficult operator, Dalton Smith won’t be as tough to find within the ring.
With 22 knockouts on Jon’s slate, that opens the potential for a fan-friendly firefight. Smith has already briefly remarked that Jon is a famous puncher.
In actual fact, it’s the very first thing that stands out to most observers. As pleased as Fernandez is for that statistic to maintain opponents frightened, he has different attributes to name upon as nicely.
“In fact, my punching energy is confirmed. The knockout energy will not be the one factor that he’s going to must be frightened about as a result of I’m additionally an excellent technician and I’m nonetheless going to be very ready tactically to combat Dalton on the night time.
“I’m 100 per cent assured in my staff and I do what my staff says, with the directions and ways going right into a combat. However I feel it’s excellent for a boxer additionally to look at the fighter that he’s going to face, to see tactically, as a result of I’m going to be the particular person within the ring and see how I’m going to affront that check,” he added.
Arriving as an undefeated prospect, many will view Smith because the sturdy combat favorite. Nevertheless, Fernandez sees this as a chance to assert a scalp that can propel him again as much as world degree and reignite his profession.
“Sure, Dalton is the undefeated prospect. He’s very, very nicely ranked with all of the organisations, particularly the WBC. For myself, successful this combat for the European title will then put me in an excellent place with the WBC and on to world honours.”
World honours and the possibility to comply with within the footsteps of Kiko Martinez, the diminutive power-puncher from Valenciana who bludgeoned Bernard Dunne for the EBU crown again in 2007 in entrance of a shocked residence crowd.
Dubliner Dunne was unbeaten and extremely touted by Irish nationwide media. On that heat August night, 17 years in the past, Kiko tore up the pre-written script and took nice enjoyment of fluttering each final piece of it throughout a shocked Level Depot enviornment.
Repeating that very same trick a few years later in opposition to Child Galahad, getting into enemy floor for a smash-and-grab knockout raid, Dalton’s Sheffield devoted have been warned.
“Kiko is an inspiration, not solely to Spanish boxers however to boxing everywhere in the world. Simply with the pure dedication that he has, he’s all the time gone to the boxer’s yard in opposition to the chances, like in opposition to Galahad,” lauded Jon Fernandez.
“He went because the loser to type of get beat, and he turned it round. He’s simply an inspiration to all boxers and athletes typically.”
Whereas Kiko was the last word upsetter, Fernandez is nicely conscious that the onus rests solely on his shoulders to organize, flip up, and carry out.
“It’s a vital combat in each our careers. I’m very excited, as I’m certain Dalton is simply too. It was all the time a dream of mine to combat within the UK after I turned skilled and on such a giant stage like this, for the European title. It’ll be a tricky combat, however hopefully, the perfect man will win.”
