At the venue, the Spanish boxer's friend and countryman Kiko Martinez stripped Ingle boxer Kid Galahad of his IBF World Featherweight belt in 2021. Now Fernandez plans a similar fate for Steel City's Dalton Smith . Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
The two compete for the vacant EBU European Super Lightweight strap on September 28. It is a boxing opportunity for England to get their own back on Euro 2024 football winners, Spain . Sheffield Arena boxing nights are always tremendous events, the support of a vocal home crowd has always been a valuable asset for boxers like Smith, and Kell Brook before him.
But Fernandez (26-3-0) is relishing the task. “I’ve no problem whatsoever going to Sheffield or going abroad for the fight," he said. "We’ve had the experience with Kiko Martinez, who is on the same team as all of us.
They had the great win against Galahad, so not a problem,” Fernandez told Boxing News . Advertisement Advertisement Smith has had three of his 16 wins at the South Yorkshire building. But his unbeaten record and apparent home advantage doesn't mean much to the Bilbao-born boxer.
“Dalton’s a very good fighter, a very good operator and he had a very good performance against [Jose] Zepeda. I do think Zepeda was a bit over the top. “He had very good wins in the pas.