Super-middleweight prospect Ethan Smith is garnering some lofty praise as his trainer compares him to Thomas Hearns, Floyd Mayweather and Devin Haney.

Smith, 2-0 (2 KOs), returns May 17 against the debuting Terrence Coleman at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Smith recently signed with MarvNation, a California-based promotion that he trusts to guide his career. 

Smith, a 20-year-old from Las Vegas, has an accomplished amateur background and is looking to continue into the pros. 

Smith trains with Rodney Crisler. If Crisler’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he has worked with Devin Haney and Samuel Peter. Crisler has high expectations for Smith.

“He has got Devin Haney’s footwork. He has Floyd Mayweather’s shoulder roll and he has Tommy Hearns’ power,” Crisler told BoxingScene. “I know a champion when I see him. He’s in the right place at the right time."

Given Smith’s height of 6ft 2ins, Crisler believes he has the potential to fight in various weight classes.

“In the next two to three years, he is going to be on top of the division,” Crisler said. “He’s a 168lbs fighter. He’s going to be able to go to 175lbs, and he’s going to be able to drop down to 160lbs. He's going to be ready for everybody. I see him as a three-weight division fighter.”

Smith, while confident, doesn’t overstate his talent. He dominated the amateurs when he was younger, but he couldn’t find the same success as he grew older. 

“I started very strong when I was younger,” Smith told BoxingScene. “I feel like as I got older, I fell out of love with amateur boxing.”

Smith is a 10-time amateur national champion who captured an international gold medal in Germany. He was ranked No. 1 in his division in 2015-2020, and again in 2022. 

What made him fall out of love with boxing? 

“A lot of robberies,” Smith said. “Yeah, some of my bouts were close, but I feel like some of those cases, I was robbed. I would say, doing this for a long time, sometimes you got to find that passion again.”

Pro boxing has helped Smith regain that passion.

“Being a pro is better for me, because of my style,” Smith said. “I like to start slower. I pick it up in the later rounds, so I'll have more time to get the job done. In the amateurs, it was more of a fast pace. The transition has been effortless. I just fit right in as a pro.”