Greenrigg’s Kieran Smith wasted no time in quashing any ambitions his replacement opponent had to cause an upset in Glasgow last Friday.
In the first round of a scheduled eight, ‘Chopper’ quickly set about forcing Czech fighter Jan Balog on to the back foot with a relentless and varied right jab and choice left hands to the body and head.
Balog made earnest efforts to make some impact on the bout but found his boxing muted by Smith’s reach advantage and fast footwork.
By the second round, the MTK Global star was comfortable to stay in range and start looking for an opening, snapping back the durable challenger’s head at will.
The stoppage seemed close at hand in round four, when Smith landed a big right hook to the body that clapped through every eardrum in the Emirates Arena, and forced his opponent to cover up on the ropes, barely answering to the Greenrigg pro’s sustained pressure.
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Smith stepped on the gas in round five, bullying Balog from corner to corner until landing a pair of uppercuts on the chin that forced his opponent to slump forwards onto the canvas.
Balog stood on wobbly legs while the referee counted to eight, then survived the final few seconds of the round - he wouldn’t come out to answer the start of the sixth.
The victory improves Smith’s perfect professional record to 14 wins with seven knockouts.
Assessing his performance after the fight, Smith told the Courier: “It was what it was. I was happy just to get out and get a few rounds in.
“It was good that MTK were able to get a replacement opponent for me so late as I’d sold quite a few tickets.”
On the pressures that come with fighting a late replacement, he added: “I didn’t feel any pressure to get a
stoppage – I knew if I just kept hitting him with what I was hitting him with, I’d get him out of there.
“When I was fighting in four and six-rounders, I used to rush a bit for a stoppage, but I felt like it was a more mature performance on Friday.”
Kieran had been set to defend his WBC International Silver belt against English super welterweight champion Adam Harper, but Harper failed his medical just days before the fight.
