Stephen Smith - ready to turn pro

Commonwealth Games champion Stephen Smith intends to sign a professional contract with promoter Frank Warren.

The Rotunda featherweight told BBC Radio Merseyside that he took the decision after failing to qualify for this summer's Olympic Games.

"It was a hard decision to make," he said. "But, at the same time, it's something I've always wanted to do."

Smith, 22, from Aintree, is scheduled to make his pro debut at featherweight at Birmingham's NIA in June.

It's my chance to show people Stephen Smith

Smith will fight on the undercard of a bill topped by Amir Khan, but which also features his brother Paul, who is scheduled to defend his English middleweight title against Coventry's Steve Bendall.

He will share his brother's training facilities States-side, at Buddy McGirt's gym in Florida.

And, having agreed to sign with Frank Warren's Sports Network, he has dismissed suggestions that he will find life in the paid ranks difficult to handle.

"People who say, 'Will he make it as a pro?', they must think I'm going to get in and continue to box as an amateur.

"As a junior I boxed more as a professional but I had to adapt my style to be the best amateur boxer I could be. So I did that.

"Now I'll do the same thing and adapt to be the best professional boxer I can be.

"I know it's two completely different styles but I know I can do it and it's my chance to show people now."

I never want another set back like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong Stephen Smith

At domestic level Smith won nine national titles and was twice crowned senior ABA Champion.

In the international arena, he won Commonwealth gold in Australia in 2006. And later that year he also won European bronze in Bulgaria.

He narrowly misses out on the Beijing Olympics having got within one win of qualifying for this summer's games in each of the three qualification tournaments open to European boxers.

Having missed the amateur code's showpiece event, Smith says he hopes to use that disappointment to his advantage in the paid ranks.

"It's always going to itch," he said. "I never want another setback like that in my career but again I never really did much wrong.

"I couldn't have trained better and I couldn't have boxed much better."