The journey continues for Smith Jr.

(Los Angeles, CA., December 19, 2016) – Long Island’s Joe Smith Jr. defeated a boxing icon at The Forum on Saturday to inch his way closer to the WBC light-heavyweight title.

The 27-year-old Smith Jr., defeated Bernard Hopkins 53 seconds into the eighth round to secure the victory and move closer to a title shot against champion, Adonis Stevenson.

Hopkins, who is 51-years-old, came back after a two-year hiatus to fight Smith Jr., and after the loss, announced he is retiring after a remarkable career.

With the win, Smith Jr., who lives in Mastic Beach, moves to 23-1, with 19 knockouts and continues his impressive journey.

Coming into the fight, Smith Jr. had his most improbable win as he shockingly defeated Andrezej Fonfara in Chicago on June 18, 2016, where he called out Stevenson saying, "I want to fight (WBC champion) Adonis Stevenson and move toward becoming a world champion."

Smith Jr., who works for General Building Laborers Local NO. 66, pulled off the upset with a TKO victory at the 2:32 mark of round 1 back in June.

With the win over Hopkins, Smith Jr. now puts himself in the running for a potential fight against Stevenson, who has defended the title successfully seven times and owns a record of 28-1.

For now, Smith Jr. is quickly becoming a household name on Long Island, and if given the shot, he might fight one of the best boxers in the world. Stay tuned.

MMA Long Island Magazine is published by MMA New York Media Corporation. For more information please visit www.mmalongislandmagazine.com or call (516) 318-2418.

Photo credit: Newsday

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