Smith suffers TKO loss

Jamaica's middleweight boxing champion Rikardo Smith suffered the first loss in his professional career when he lost by technical knockout (TKO) to Kenneth Diaz of Puerto Rico last Friday night in Puerto Rico.

Smith, who was the 2011 Wray & Nephew middleweight Contender champion, left the island recently to get fights overseas, and his first opponent was Diaz who, like him, had a 6-0 record going into the fight which was one of the preliminary contests on a card at the Reuben Zayas Montañez Coliseum in Puerto Rico.

It was known beforehand that Diaz was a puncher, as he had won five of his fights by knockout. Smith is a renown defensive fighter who likes to counterpunch, and it was felt by his connections that he would be able to nullify the punching power of his opponent.

That was not to be, however. Diaz floored him in the first round and his attacks to head and body saw Smith suffering from a badly swollen left eye. Shortly after the start of the third round, his corner decided not to let him continue, and called a halt to the fight, thereby giving Diaz a third-round TKO victory.

Diaz is now 7-0 with six stoppages, while Smith has slipped to 6-1. Despite this setback, he plans to get more fights overseas, The Sunday Gleaner has been advised.