Professional boxer ‘Sniper’ Sam Smith writes a weekly column, exclusive to The Wokingham Paper, all about his life as a prizefighter as he prepares for the biggest test of his career when he enters Ultimate Boxxer II at The O2 on November 2.
I live in Guildford, but I train in Swindon and Wokingham.
When I was an amateur, I used to box for Pinewood Starr ABC in Old Wokingham Road and managed to win 31 from 45 bouts and boxed for England in the European Games. I won the CYP’s, the Golden Gloves twice, and bagged a silver medal in the Three Nations. I got to four national finals and lost to Jack Massey every time! He’s now an unbeaten cruiserweight in the professional ranks, so that’s a weight division above me. The rivalry ended 4-0 to him but it should’ve been 2-2 and even that’s being generous!
My boxing gym is in Swindon, but I train in Wokingham every week; I visit The Ridges in Finchampstead to do my hill sprints and my strength and conditioning sessions are at Pulse 8 Gym in Sindlesham with my old amateur coach, Tim DeMeyer, who was the main reason for me turning professional and still has a big influence in my career.
My uncle Les Stevens was a Southern Area heavyweight champion from Reading, he once fought world champion John Conteh in February 1974 and lost by just two points; Conteh won the WBC world title later that same year.
My uncle Tommy Dunn was also a Southern Area champion from Reading, he won it at lightweight in December 1974, and I’m really close to Johnny Frankham, who was a British light-heavyweight champion, also from Reading.
My long-term sponsor A1 Group are based in Highland Avenue in Wokingham and have been backing me since my professional boxing debut in 2015.
Almost three years on and I’ll be entering Ultimate Boxxer which is a tournament involving eight light-heavyweights in a winner-takes-all competition. There’s a £50k prize fund at stake for the victor, so I’m taking it very seriously!
My training camp started four weeks ago now, but I had been ticking over in-between, keeping a very good level of fitness. There’s been a lot more work on the bike, more sprinting, and other intense training to suit the format of the competition.
The light-heavyweight limit is 175lbs, that’s 12 ½ stone, and I’m on weight now as I don’t believe in boiling down in weight like most boxers do. I like to train and live at the weight I’ll be fighting at, rather than killing myself on fight week to lose the last few pounds.
Winning Ultimate Boxxer would mean everything for my family. The platform on Channel5 Spike would give my profile a big boost and three wins in one night would elevate my name in the rankings to set up a title fight next. Also, the money isn’t bad either! £50k would definitely make for a nice Christmas! I’m 25 now and will have been married three years in October so my wife, Annemarie, and two-year-old daughter would be very happy with that!
Eight professional light heavyweight boxers will clash in a tournament to be crowned the winner of the Ultimate Boxxer II competition, alongside the best live music and entertainment hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Charlie Sloth.
