Liam Smith has a big rematch coming up next and he would welcome another, against Canelo Alvarez, afterwards too.
On September 2, live on Sky Sports Box Office, Smith fights Chris Eubank Jr. He hopes that a second successive win over one of the biggest names in the middleweight division could pave the way for him to rematch Alvarez.
After all Jermell Charlo is stepping up from super-welter to challenge the Mexican superstar for his super-middleweight titles on September 30.
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Sky Sports News’ Eleanor Roper and John Dennen reflect on the first press conference for Smith v Eubank II.
Smith fought Alvarez in 2016 when the Liverpudlian was the WBO world champion and they were both super-welterweights.
Canelo halted him inside the distance, but it’s a rematch the Briton would still welcome.
“I think everyone knows I would. It was a fight that I loved,” he told Sky Sports. “It was a fight that was my type of fight. I loved it, even though I got stopped in the ninth I loved every part of the fight.
“I had moments in the fight also. It’s not like I couldn’t hit Canelo. He was there to be hit and I landed enough shots, but I just wasn’t big enough and strong enough. But of course, I’d take that.”
Charlo may be the undisputed champion at 154lbs but Smith does expect Alvarez to beat him: “I just think Canelo is too good for him in every department and Canelo wins that one well.”
He is not convinced that the great Mexican is declining, even though Alvarez was comprehensively defeated by Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight last year.
Liam Smith celebrates his January victory over Chris Eubank Jr
“I think he lost the Bivol fight because he jumped up a step too far. I also think he overlooked Bivol, to be brutally honest with you,” Smith said.
“All of a sudden now Bivol is ‘the best light-heavyweight in the world’. But before the Canelo fight, he wasn’t. It was [Artur] Beterbiev. People are forgetting Bivol was getting called the weak world champion when he was struggling with [Craig] ‘Spider’ Richards.
“That could have all been a method of madness that got him the Canelo fight and he beat Canelo, and he did beat Canelo. But I also do think Canelo did overlook Bivol.”
Smith has now established himself at middleweight with his dominant showing against Eubank Jr in their first fight. Smith is confident a similar performance will set him up for more major fights down the line.
“I’ve already fought Canelo so [people might] think I’d never get that fight again,” he said. “Regardless of Canelo, I just want to go into big fights again that people are talking about. I’d fight Charlo, I’d fight Charlo’s brother [Jermall, the WBC middleweight champion] I’d fight anybody.”
“I don’t know what [titles are] going to become vacant. But also I have to just concentrate on this fight and go from there.”
Canelo Alvarez will fight Jermell Charlo on September 30
Smith cannot afford to be complacent, despite his confidence going into this second Eubank fight.
He is intent on “keeping professional, keeping my mind on what I want to do for the rest of my career and not coming unstuck against somebody that I know if I turn up against properly with my mind on the job that I beat.
“I want to go into bigger fights than this, earn more money than this and challenge for a world title again and all them things come off the back of another win,” he continued.
“So it’s just about staying focused and keeping my mind on the job.”
He believes that his previous bouts with the likes of Canelo helped him against Eubank in January.
“Just the experience of being at that level. That’s the top. That’s the pinnacle. You take little bits that you don’t even realise,” he said. “I feel you have to just look at me versus Chris Eubank Jr. I think that speaks for itself. I embraced the whole night. I revelled in it. Chris looked like he was being walked through a jail cell.”
Don’t miss Smith vs Eubank II live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 2