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 seemingly be introduced shortly. Fernandez will arrive as a harmful puncher, identical to ‘La Sensacion’ Kiko Martinez.
“I’ve no drawback by any means going to Sheffield or going overseas for the combat. We’ve had the expertise with Kiko Martinez, who’s on the identical workforce as all of us. They’d the good 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 will not be 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 previously, but it surely’s going to be check for myself to combat Dalton and go to his yard. It’s additionally going to be an excellent and attention-grabbing 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 troublesome 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.
The truth is, it’s the very first thing that stands out to most observers. As comfortable as Fernandez is for that statistic to maintain opponents frightened, he has different attributes to name upon as nicely.
“After all, my punching energy is confirmed. The knockout energy is just not 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 workforce and I do what my workforce says, with the directions and ways going right into a combat. However I feel it’s excellent for a boxer additionally to observe the fighter that he’s going to face, to see tactically, as a result of I’m going to be the individual 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 robust combat favorite. Nonetheless, Fernandez sees this as a possibility to assert a scalp that may propel him again as much as world stage 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 observe 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 dwelling 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 trustworthy have been warned.
“Kiko is an inspiration, not solely to Spanish boxers however to boxing everywhere in the world. Simply with the pure willpower that he has, he’s at all times 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 basically.”
Whereas Kiko was the final word upsetter, Fernandez is nicely conscious that the onus rests solely on his shoulders to arrange, flip up, and carry out.
“It’s an important combat in each our careers. I’m very excited, as I’m positive Dalton is simply too. It was at all times a dream of mine to combat within the UK after I turned skilled and on such an enormous stage like this, for the European title. It’ll be a tricky combat, however hopefully, the most effective man will win.”
