Great Britain’s Paul “The Real Gone Kid” Smith 26-1(15) is a Super Middleweight who shot to prominence when he was selected to fight on the third series of the contender back in 2007. Smith 26, started his pro career back in 2003 following a successful amateur career. He ran off 23 straight victories including a win on contender when he outpointed David Banks however a bad cut stopped Smith being able to fight in the next round. Back in March Smith recorded his latest victory on the Khan-Barrera bill in Manchester when he scored an emphatic second round stoppage of usually durable Rashid Matumla. He know hopes to push on and secure a fight with fellow Scouser Tony Quigley for the British Super Middleweight laurels.
Hello Paul, welcome to 15rounds.com
Anson Wainwright – How are things? Any news of when you’ll be back in action next?
Paul Smith – I’m good. Just waiting on purse bids for the British Super-Middleweight title that I am the mandatory challenger for. I’m in training and will fight in June in a 6-8 round fight to tick over. Unless the fight goes ahead for July in which I will adjust the training for then.
Anson Wainwright – You briefly dropped to Middleweight but came back to Super Middleweight after you lost to Steven Bendall. Was the move back to 168 because you were flat at having to make 160?
Paul Smith – I have been mainly a middleweight but moved up to 168 for The Contender. Something I don’t regret doing. I made 168 the morning of the fight and felt good in doing so. I had a bad time making 160, sometimes dropping silly, unhealthy amounts of weight due to miss-calculating and messing up food wise. I feel a lot stronger at 168, that last 6lb is a killer.
Anson Wainwright – Recently your fellow Liverpudlian Tony Quigley won the British Super Middleweight title. Is that a fight you want? Sounds like a great local fight.
Paul Smith – It’s a fight that I hope can be made very soon. Purse bids are due in next week for the fight, and I hope it comes off. He’s been popping off in the local press about not liking me personally, and apparently I don’t like him! – Which is the first I’ve heard. So there should be no reason for him to not fight me. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Quigley is talking about fighting Magee in a voluntary defence, as if he owes it to Magee. The winner out of me and Quigley has no obligation to defend against Brian Magee anyway. Tony also says from a selfish point of view he wants the fight with me. His manager wants the fight and he’s the champion so he decides! There will be more money in the fight with me with it being local, and on paper I am the easier fight. He wants the fight, I want the fight, so why shouldn’t it happen? It’s his call, I’m ready right now. If he is champion in September then he has to fight me. If not it’s Magee. Either way I’ve got my chance to win that Lonsdale belt.
Anson Wainwright – What titles did you win in the amateur’s & what was your final record?
Paul Smith – I had 70 bouts as an amateur and It’s a debate in our house about my record. Our Liam says I lost 20 fights. I think 15! If I lost 20 and won 50 then I had less point’s wins than I thought because I had 34 stoppages. So I’m going with 15 losses! haha
I won 5 National titles. 2 Schoolboy ABA, 2 Junior ABA 1 Senior ABA. Medals at international junior and senior multi-nations tournaments and a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
I fought a few good kids in the amateurs. Jean Pascal, John Duddy, Craig McEwan, Andre Dirrell, Reda Zam-Zam to name a few.
Anson Wainwright – I remember you appeared on season three of the contender. What can you tell us abut that experience and how you felt it went?
Paul Smith – It was amazing, loved every bit of it. I went to win the lot and had a great chance over 5 round distance. Being around Ray Leonard, Buddy McGirt(Who I am good friends with now through the show) etc day in day out was surreal to say the least. Ray invited me into his home, showed me his trophy room and around his house. I was lucky he didn’t know about us Scousers reputations or I’d have never got past the gates!
He’d sit with me asking me about my life, telling me about his fights, his life. People were paying grands to hear him speak and there I was technically being paid to listen to him! He is an idol, the word legend gets thrown about too easy nowadays but he really is a legend. It was an amazing experience. I kicked his arse on the pool table too! 
Anson Wainwright – You come from a fighting family I believe your younger brothers Stephen (6-0(5) Featherweight), Liam (3-0(1) Welterweight) & Callum (Still amateur) are also boxers. How did you get into Boxing?
Paul Smith – I went with my neighbour to the Rotunda ABC just over the road from my house and loved it from day one. My brothers followed me. I’m not saying they’d have been pro footballers or actors if I had have been like! They love boxing full stop. We’re a very lucky family having 4 of us with the talent to all be England representatives and National champions. Cheesy but true
Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do when you’re not Boxing?
Paul Smith – I spend most of my time with my 2year old son.
I’m a hermit! I love my home. I live with my fiancée and the house is always busy with family, the kids, friends and such. I love Liverpool F.C. I also race pigeons haha. I’m a geek really to be honest but that’s me. It relaxes me, it’s a good buzz and they are like fighters. Having to train them up, get their food right for racing. It’s a hobby that fits in with my job too. Not many other hobbies can co-exist with boxing full time.
Anson Wainwright – Who was your favourite fighter growing up? Who do you like watching fight today?
Paul Smith – Favourite fighter growing up was Leonard. Followed very very closely by Tyson, in his prime. Tyson got me into boxing. I loved watching Arguello, Hagler, Duran, Ray Mancini, JC Chavez. My Dad used to watch a lot of boxing. He loved Davey Boy Green so I watched him too. I studied local fighters like Andy Holligan. His left hooks to the body were lethal.
Anson Wainwright – What is your goal in Boxing?
Paul Smith – Like most others, to win a world title and hopefully pay the mortgage off. It’s a long hard road and unfortunately there’s only a handful of Ricky Hatton’s and Joe Calzaghe’s. But hard work pays off in the end, hopefully.
Anson Wainwright – Finally Paul, do you have a message for anyone?
Paul Smith – To any fans, thank you for the support. The messages I receive from people who watched the Contender and wish me well are really great. Thanks very much
Thanks for your time Paul.
Anson Wainwright
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