Harrow Weald’s Mitchell Smith is confident he could land the British featherweight title before the end of 2015 after deciding to drop down in weight.

The ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ has impressed on his way to winning all ten of his professional fights at super featherweight but comfortably came in just two pounds above the 9st featherweight limit for his last fight in November.

The 22-year-old has so far stopped four of his pro opponents and picked up the English title and WBO European strap on the way but understandably believes his power will take him further at a lesser weight.

He said: “It might be a little tougher to make weight but I believe I am quite small for super-featherweight (5ft 4 ½ins tall) so if I drop down four pounds then I should be stronger and bigger at that weight.”

Coincidently, a knee operation just after Christmas meant Smith only returned to the gym in February so he is carrying excess pounds at present and will enter the ring on Friday night above the usual super featherweight limit.

He is not expecting Croatian opponent Antonio Horvatic (4-16) to be too competitive at York Hall, Bethnal Green, in what is merely a six-round tune-up for Smith but he plans to remain composed. If the knockout comes, it comes he said.

Smith will be appearing on the same card as ex-Bushey Boxing Club team-mate Miles Shinkwin and the pair still share the same trainer, with Jason Rowland now in charge of their development.

Shinkwin is Southern Area light-heavyweight champion and Smith said: “If we can both get a British title this year, which is very likely to happen, then you would have two fighters out of Bushey Boxing Club with British titles which would be great.”

Smith is already English champion at super featherweight and would be reluctant to fight at the same level at the lighter weight. He wants a summer showdown with the winner of Ryan Walsh versus Samir Mouneimne for the British belt.

Smith has just returned from a 12-day training camp in Monaco where he sparred with talented bantamweight prospect Ryan Burnett, who has top trainer Adam Booth in his corner. Smith said it was ideal preparation for his drop down in weight after regularly sparring with the heavier welterweights and light welterweights in the past.

The camp was primarily for Andy Lee ahead of his WBO middleweight world title defence against Peter Quillin next month and Smith, as he has stated in the past, is confident he will reach that level.

When asked if he was hopeful of one-day becoming a two-weight world champion, following his drop down to featherweight, Smith said: “You hear of fighters moving up in weight and it is definitely something that we will look at in the future but at the moment I have my goals set and I’m staying focussed. One world title will do at the moment and then we will go from there.”