SAM “SNIPER” SMITH overcame a broken hand to retain his unbeaten professional boxing record.
Smith, who spent his junior days training at Pinewood Starr, had not been in competitive action since July after his last fight was cancelled at the 11th hour.
But he took his record to 4-0 since turning pro with a points victory over Czech Josef Obeslo, despite an early injury, in what was Sniper’s first ever eight-round fight.
“I felt the hand go in round two,” Smith told The Wokingham Paper.
“But with adrenaline you don’t really feel anything and then it started getting a lot worse and I think I said to my trainer Paddy (Fitzpatrick) at the end of the third or fourth round that my hand had completely gone.
“But I had no choice because I had such a tough opponent in front of me, but I’m paying the price now.”
He added: “It was my left hand, the one that I do 90% of my work from.
“I’ve always been prone to injuries but especially against such a touch opponent over eight rounds for the hand to go so early, I had a lot going against me. But I came through it in the end.”
Obeslo, 28, was only confirmed as Smith’s opponent less than 48 hours before the fight and he arrived in Swindon with a losing record of 6-33-3.
But Sniper was taken the distance, eventually winning 78-75 on points and he says taking the foot off the peddle almost allowed Obeslo back into the fight.
“He was a difficult opponent to hit clean to the head with the jab,” explained the 24-year-old.
“You had to use a lot of feints which, looking back at it now, I should’ve used a lot more of.
“I actually used the jab to the stomach and to the chest to set up to hit him in the face.
“I was winning it pretty comfortably in the third round and then I lacked concentration in the last minute and let him get on top a little bit.
“I had to regather my bearings in the fourth round again and then work from there.”
“That’s the one thing I’ve got to learn, to not fall asleep or lose concentration.
“I have no need to go and sit on the ropes. It’s not like I’m tired and it just gives him an opportunity to hit me. It’s a silly and bad habit I’ve got into.”
Sniper was full of praise for his opponent and believes the eight-round slog, combined with the injury concern, will stand him in good stead for future battles.
“The game plan was to work from the jab as it always is,” he said.
“I was expecting him after four rounds to really drown but he was actually in the fight the whole time which was good.
“I think I learned more from this fight than I probably will a lot of the others because he was such a durable opponent.
“For his record, you’d think how has he really not beat a lot of other people?
“He is a lovely fella. A lot of opponents I’ve boxed don’t have any time for you but he came up afterwards to the changing rooms.
“You need people like that in this sport.”
Despite the hand injury, Smith is already eager to get back in the ring in the next few months and hopes he can replicate a 2005 box office movie.
“It’s like that film really, Cinderella Man and the one who breaks his hand all the time,” he said.
“But he ends up being world champion in the end!”
