Liam Smith – Big Move or Bow Out for the Veteran?
Liam Smith is part of a unique group. As fighting family dynasties go, the Smith family from Liverpool will take some beating. Four brothers, all of them belt holders at regional and national levels, with two (Liam and Callum) going on to be world champions.
Liam (or Beefy, by nickname), is the second youngest and one with the second-best record in the family.
Liam Smith is a legitimate former world champion. He won the WBO light middleweight title in 2015, defending it on a couple of occasions before losing it to Canelo Alvarez the following year, which is no shameful thing. He’s been a big name at middleweight for years, arguably sitting as the best British middleweight of the last decade or so.
Liam Smith: Reborn
After losing to Alvarez his meteoric rise was stopped, and if we’re honest, he was treading water for a few years. He picked up a couple of minor wins, but lost to Munguia (a loss that looks better with age) and Kurbanov. Following the loss to Kurbanov it’d be fair to say many thought his best days were behind him.
Promoters perceived a lack of interest, but Eddie Hearn spotted the potential for a domestic dust-up between Smith and fellow Scouser, Anthony Fowler.
Smith was probably offended at being put in the ring with a fighter he considered far below him, but he had a point to prove. Fowler was an up and coming fighter, a former GB Boxing captain, and a potential future star. With the promotion might of Matchroom, a genuine sense of frustration from Smith, and a gobby Fowler on the card, it had potential to create fireworks.
Would Smith have it in him to win, or was the younger, fresher Fowler about to steal a march on his neighbour?
The event blew up. The public interest was genuine, and it seemed to re-ignite something in Smith. He was back to his best, weathering an early storm to beat Fowler by knockout in the 8th. Smith gave the kind of performance he needed to. In my opinion, he saved his career that night. A loss to Fowler would have sent him back to fights in Leisure Centres.
Thankfully for Liam Smith, he hadn’t just won the fight – he’d sent a message to the middleweight division that he was far from done.
Road to Eubank
A fantastic run of form saw Smith win his next three fights by knockout, leading to a domestic clash with Chris Eubank Jr in Jan 23. Despite being the underdog before the fight, Smith absolutely dominated Eubank, knocking him out in the 4th round.
Eubank triggered the rematch clause, and the pair faced off again in the September of the same year. This time around, a motivated Eubank faced a Smith who look unfit, uninterested and frankly, a shadow of the man who entered the ring in the previous fight. Eubank won the fight by knockout in the 10th round, leaving question marks over Smith’s ability to motivate himself any more.
Had he made his money and lost his interest?
Where Next?
Liam Smith was due to fight Josh Kelly on the Joshua vs Dubois undercard, but had to pull out due to injury. He’s still keen for a fight with Eubank Jr, and many would love to see a trilogy should Smith get himself fit again. It’s the fight I’d love to see – they’re one all, so why not see who is the best of them? Eubank probably won’t be keen. Liam Smith is a known risk, and there’s a bigger money fight with the smaller Connor Benn out there for him.
The Kelly bout would have been an interesting chance to see what Smith has left, because at 36 he’s entered the final furlong of his boxing career.
The hope is we’ll get to see one of the best British middleweights of the last decade fight a couple more times, and personally I’d love to see one of those fights be the closing chapter on a trilogy with Chris Eubank Jr.
