Who is Adam Smith? The ‘Voice of Boxing’ who battled cancer and returns for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2
Adam Smith has covered some of the biggest fights in modern history during his glittering career and has earned the nickname the ‘Voice of Boxing’.
But he was diagnosed with cancer in late 2023 and has mostly been off our screens while he fought the illness.
Following a year away, fans will be buzzing he’s back in the commentary booth – but not with Sky Sports, where he spent more than three decades, with Smith back in the booth with DAZN.
Smith will be providing his expert analysis for the fight of the year — Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2.
Who is Adam Smith?
Adam Smith is a renowned figure in the world of boxing commentary.
He is widely recognised as the “Voice of Boxing” for his distinctive delivery and knowledge of the sport.
Adam’s journey in boxing commentary began with Sky Sports in August 1994.
He has gone on to establish himself as one of the leading voices in the game.
Over the years, he has commentated on some of the biggest fights in modern boxing history.
He’s called bouts featuring legendary fighters including Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones Jr, Chris Eubank, Ricky Hatton, Lennox Lewis and “Prince” Naseem Hamed.
More recently, Adam called Anthony Joshua’s incredible 2017 victory over Wladimir Klitschko, as well as AJ’s rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.
Battle with cancer
Adam was diagnosed with bladder cancer at the start of 2023.
In September 2024, Adam told the Independent: “It was a brutal period. I’m very, very lucky to be here today.
“I didn’t feel great physically or mentally, something was wrong. Eventually I found blood in my urine.
“It was sporadic, but I knew people who’d had prostate cancer, so I monitored it until it got worse and worse.”
After three decades with the channel, Adam departed from his role at Sky Sports in November 2023.
During his time there, he never took a sick day until his cancer diagnosis, and said he couldn’t remember ever staying home from school with an illness as a youngster.
He continued: “The NHS put me on a very fast programme. I had a CT scan, and then I had a call almost straight away.
It was a brutal period. I’m very, very lucky to be here today
Adam Smith
“I went back in and I knew it was serious. A urologist told me I needed a nephrostomy [a tube inserted into the kidney] and a biopsy.
“He showed me a screen and said: ‘This is one of the biggest tumours we’ve seen in a bladder, and it’s extremely near the bladder wall.’
“My kidney had failed, so I had about four days to have the nephrostomy or I wouldn’t make it.
“I had it within two hours, and the biopsy the next day.”
All clear
Following a six-hour operation, the removal of 19 lymph nodes, three months of chemotherapy, more than 150 blood tests and further months in private and NHS hospitals, Adam finally got the all-clear near the end of 2023.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT in February 2024, he was counting his blessings ahead of his return to the commentary box for the Thomas Essomba vs Elie Konki fight at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield.
He said: “I’m excited. I love commentating, as you know, and since I was nine or 10 years old it was the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.
“It’s a passion that I’ve had through my life.
“The last year or year-and-a-half has been pretty tough, brutal, and I’ve missed it. I’ve missed everything.
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“It’s good to be back and good to be back in Sheffield — a city that I know so well from the days of Prince Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Ryan Rhodes and all the others.
“It’s good to be back in Sheffield, good to be back with Spencer (Oliver) — we’re going to commentate together and it’s really exciting.”
Adam Smith’s Fury vs Usyk 2 prediction
Ahead of the mega-fight on Saturday, December 21, 2024, Adam opened up about who he thinks will come out on top in the incredibly close-to-call fight.
He told YouTube channel Boxing Social: “[Fury’s] looking really good in camp and I expect him to come in a bit heavier.
“He’s got to try and use his size advantage and he can’t be playing around like last time… Usyk won it, it was a good fight.
“He should have stopped him in the ninth round, but we start again, it’s a new canvas.
“The difference is they both know each other will so there will be respect this time… Fury also has a very good record in rematches.”