Ishe Smith was honored in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon

By Chris Robinson / Photos courtesy of Idris Erba

On Wednesday afternoon, inside of the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ishe Smith was greeted with quite the surprise.

Following his stable mate Floyd Mayweather’s workout inside of the gym, Smith was advised by Regina Coward-Holman of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and President of the Black Police Association that, on behalf of the city of Las Vegas, that February 23, 2013 would officially be named “Ishe ‘Sugar Shay’ Smith Day.”

On the aforementioned date, Smith made history as the first Las Vegas native to win a world championship, as he went into his opponent Cornelius Bundrage’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan and won a unanimous decision after twelve rounds. With the win, Smith also collected the IBF junior middleweight world title.

Sharing his thoughts, it was easy to tell that Smith was both caught off guard and deeply touched by the moment.

“In my wildest dreams I would have never thought I would see the day when Las Vegas, my city and my hometown, would recognize my work and efforts to make this city proud,” said Smith. “I am humbled and extremely touched by the proclamation I received today. I would like to thank my fans and family for all of their unconditional love and support. I am cognizant that all of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of my trainers and the opportunities I’ve been afforded by the Mayweather Promotions family.”

Stay tuned for more updates on Ishe Smith’s upcoming title defense in the coming days.

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com