Kyle Smith’s Dream Start Rolls On with Hometown Headliner
Kyle Smith’s dream start continues this weekend.
The new to the scene MHD man goes from the ideal to the idyllic as he moves from dreamland to the main event.
Just weeks after he made the perfect start on the perfect platform, debuting at Windsor Park on the undercard of the first ever all Irish title fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan, Smith takes centre stage on the ‘Thriller at the Mill’ card.
The 20-year-old tops the Halloween bill and does so in his hometown.
“I’m buzzing to headline in my second fight and in my home town,” he tells Irish-boxing.com.
“I want to say a big thanks to Mark Dunlop and MHD Promotions for giving me the opportunity to do so. Mark is brilliant at giving local fighters great opportunities and he is doing so for me. I really appreciate it and can’t wait to go put on a performance on Sunday,” he adds before welcoming any extra spotlight that might come with headlining.
“People might say that [topping a bill] adds pressure but I don’t feel any more pressure. I train hard and live the life of the sport, so all I have to do I perform
“I always use the saying ‘pressure is for tyres’! I’ll take it all in my stride.”
The fact he is the main event is not the only reason; Smith doesn’t see the move from Stadium Show to the small hall as a downgrade. The young prospect is excited to sample the more intimate setting afforded him this weekend and believes he will be able to tap into the atmosphere more.
“I’m really excited for this fight. It will be a very different atmosphere from my debut, as there will be big support for me, especially local support. I do want to say a big thanks to everyone who has bought tickets. It will be electric on fight night.
It won’t be just the atmosphere that will excite those in attendance, points out Smith. The Glengormley native is promising an entertaining performance.
“People can expect and good exciting fight. Me and my coach Dan Boyle have been working on numerous stuff improving constantly adding to my game and will be showcased on fight night,” he adds before stressing he plans to learn as well as win.
“This is another good learning fight on Sunday. It’s about getting as much experience as I can at this stage. I’m still young so it’s just maturing into the game at this point.”
Speaking about his Windsor experience, the light middleweight said: “Fighting at Windsor was really special to me as it’s a place I dreamed of fighting in. I watched one of my heroes, Carl Frampton, fight there. The show itself was unreal, and fighting on the undercard of one of the biggest fights in the country was special, too.
“I really enjoyed the whole fight week it’s stuff I always dreamed about: public workouts, press conferences, the weigh in and obviously getting to perform under the bright lights. So a lot was new to me, but I loved every minute of it.”
