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Joe Smith Jr. is known as 'The Common Man', and that's not by accident.
The 32-year-old is set to face Artur Beterbiev later this month in a light-heavyweight unificaition bout. The fight will be one of the biggest of his career, and it's not one that many would've expected him to ever be in. Up until just a few years ago, Smith Jr. was working while he was fighting.
It was tough to have a day job while being a professional boxer, but that's exactly what he was doing. It's because of his ability to maintain a 9-5 while also being a high-level competitor that he earned his nickname.
Ahead of his bout with Beterbiev, Smith Jr. reflected upon his nickname in an a documentary for Top Rank Boxing. The WBO light-heavyweight champion stated that he's a fan of the nickname, and it was heavily used following his fight with Bernard Hopkins.
Discussing his nickname, Smith Jr. stated:
"I mean, I kinda like the name 'The Common Man'. You know, I got it from being an everyday working type of guy, and more people started using it after the [Bernard] Hopkins fight."
See Smith Jr. discuss his nickname in the video below:
Joe Smith Jr. defeated Bernard Hopkins in their 2016 bout
Ahead of their showdown, Bernard Hopkins poked fun at Joe Smith Jr. and his nickname. 'B-Hop' openly asked fans if they would rather be special or common.
On the night of their December 2016 outing, it was 'The Common Man' who proved that he was anything but. Hopkins entered the bout at 51 years old, but was still just one fight removed from his light-heavyweight unification bout with Sergey Kovalev.
Hopkins entered the bout as a betting favorite, but Smith Jr. didn't seem to care. He pressured the legend and put him on the backfoot from round one and showed that he was one of the best in the world early in the contest.
However, it would be round eight where the fight took a turn. Smith Jr. was winning slightly heading into the eighth frame, but he wasn't content to just coast to a victory. 'The Common Man' landed a massive combination that sent Hopkins flying through the ropes, ending the matchup in a knockout win for Smith Jr.
Six years on from that knockout, Joe Smith Jr. continues to defy his critics. He returns to the ring on June 18th against Artur Beterbiev.
