DeGuardia told .com - "He got his wires taken out a few weeks ago and it's healing well. He's got to take out his wisdom teeth but they're waiting for the healing to be proper first because that's what actually caused the break. He had wisdom teeth that he should've had pulled and they were impacted and they acted as a wedge and that's what caused the break. "Now, he's got to get those removed. We're probably looking at February for his return." 2016 was a magical one for Smith, who upset Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins with knockout wins, so moving forward what is his standing in the sport and with the networks in the wake of his loss to Barrera? "Look, I think he should be standing right where he was - maybe not exactly where he was before - but certainly not far from where he was," stated DeGuardia. "The reality is he's had the year that he had last year (2016), he went out there and fought a guy that nobody wanted to fight in Barrera and Barrera's a great fighter in his own right. He dropped him in the first round and not to take anything from Barrera, look, if he didn't have that broken jaw going into the fight, he broke his jaw immediately in the first round and fought ten rounds like that." Smith (23-2, 19 KO's), despite the setback, is still one that is a fan-friendly, heavy-handed fighter. "A guy like that, who can punch the way he does, has a great story, went ten rounds with a broken jaw, you would think he is the type of guy networks would love to have on. And if they don't - shame on them," said DeGuardia, the head of Star Boxing.
This one's for Willie Maeket Looks like Joe will be back in the Spring to torment the LHW division, which will heat up considerably next year
