Former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-4, 28KOs) faces Antwone Smith (20-2, 12KOs) this week on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights in what could be one of the most important bouts of his career.
Important because Cintron needs an impressive showing to keep himself firstly in the good graces of new promoters Top Rank and secondly relevant full stop at either welterweight or light middleweight.
Cintron’s trainer agrees, and said of the fight in the official press release:
?This is going to be a career-changer, said trainer Ronnie Shields. ?It?s either going to change his career for the better, or his career is over. Everything is on the line for Kermit in this fight ? everything.?
In his last outing against Carlos Molina, intended to be little more than a tune up and also notably his first for new promoters Top Rank, a sluggish and ring rusty Cintron was outworked en route to losing a ten round decision.
Molina going into the fight had a record of 18-4, and was regarded as an easy opponent by most, although is undoubtedly a lot better than he was given credit for at the time.
Previous to this was a 14 month layoff, which followed Cintron’s technical decision loss to Paul Williams, ended after the pair became entangled and Cintron fell through the ropes, an incident more bizarre than damaging to his career.
