Joe Smith Jr. rebounded from COVID and is ready for 2022

Joe Smith Jr. became a boxing champion in 2021 but ended the year with COVID. He recovered and is ready to defend his title against Callum Johnson in 2022. 

Joe Smith Jr. realized a dream in 2021. The 12-year veteran professional boxer became a world champion but plans to defend his title were derailed after contracting COVID. Fully recovered, Smith is poised to make 2022 an even more glorious year than 2021.

The 32-year-old from Long Island is one of the best punching light heavyweights in the world. His résumé includes knockout victories over Andrzej Fonfara, Eleider Alvarez, and the legendary Bernard Hopkins.

With all the highs, there have been plenty of lows.

On the way up through the ranks, Smith worked as a union laborer, who trained at night. He won his first six boxing bouts, but a broken jaw in his seventh outing resulted in his first loss.

Smith’s first defeat didn’t break his spirit. He fought on and captured the world’s attention when he became the only boxer to ever stop Hopkins in 2016. His heavy hands pounded Hopkins through the ropes and sent him plummeting to the ground outside the ring.

Hopkins couldn’t make it back into the ring, and Smith became the most dangerous fighter in the light heavyweight division.

Smith (27-3, 23 KOs) was set for a Cinderella ending, but problems with his jaw resurfaced and cost him another loss. The setback the second time was even more devastating mentally and emotionally than the first. Smith spent years climbing the top of the division’s rankings to be knocked down due to something out of his control. He contemplated calling it a career.

“The second time it happened, you know, really it happened during training,” Smith told FanSided. “And I was like, I’m taking this fight, either way, you know, because I went and got an MRI done, X-ray, and they told me they didn’t see anything. So I took the fight. I was like, it’s probably gonna be my last one, but I’m gonna go out there and get paid, whatever.”

Joe Smith Jr. is slated to defend his WBO light heavyweight title for the first time on Jan. 15, 2022, against Callum Johnson

After the loss to Sullivan Barrera, Smith doubted himself, but not for long.

“But I made it through the fight, and I was like, that’s it. But I don’t know, something in my head told me not to quit,” said Smith. “And, you know, a few months later, I was back in the gym and working.”

Smith would also lose to Dmitry Bivol for a world title shot in 2019, but his resounding faith in his abilities pushed him to fight on. He listened to his heart and that little voice in his head that told him he could become a champion.

Smith bet on himself, and it paid off in April 2021. He pulled off a majority decision against 6-foot-3 former cruiserweight Maxim Vlasov to earn the vacant WBO light heavyweight title.

“It was a great moment, great feeling winning a world title,” said Smith about winning the title. “It feels great to be holding the belt, and I just look forward to what it’s gonna bring. And I know it’s gonna bring some big opportunities and fights.”

It was the zenith of Smith’s career and an accomplishment that can never be taken away. Smith finally attained his fairytale moment, but his rollercoaster fortune took another twist.

While preparing to defend his title for the first time against Umar Salamov, Smith tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be hospitalized. Smith was putting his body through the everyday grind of training, but something didn’t feel right.

“Something was going on because when I was running and stuff, I was like, getting very tired quickly, and I just wasn’t feeling good,” recalled Smith. “Then, after like three or four days of feeling like that, I started getting bad fevers and body aches. Then I was like, I probably got the flu or something. Then the body aches was just something totally different that I never felt before.”

Smith’s condition deteriorated, and he needed medical attention.

“There was a point where I started getting a little nervous because I was, you know, I was feeling horrible,” said Smith. “Like, I could barely get out of bed and move. My wife actually forced me to go to the hospital, though. I went, they gave me some antibodies. And within a day or two, I started feeling a little better and just started curing up.”

Smith has fully recovered from COVID and is ready to defend his title against Callum Johnson on Jan. 15. He’s used to weathering obstacles, which is what he has done throughout his career. Broken jaws and COVID haven’t stopped Smith, and he’s looking forward to a career-defining 2022.

“I’m looking for the big fights,” said Smith. “You know, I want Beterbiev. I want to redeem myself against Bivol. So, you know, in order to do that, though, I got to focus on Johnson and get past him. But hopefully, right after this guy, I could get Beterbiev or somebody in the ring.”

The new year could bring Smith another fairytale moment. Winning a unification bout against Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol would put Smith on a new plane. He would likely be the underdog against either fighter, but that’s a role he’s used to playing.