De La Hoya shocked all when announcing Canelo would move back down to 154 pounds for the first time in three years over the summer but sees Smith as a credible opponent who makes for a good fight.
“Here you have Liam Smith, an aggressive, relentless fighter. His previous eight opponents have fallen before the final bell. And then you have Canelo Alvarez, who is only getting more and more powerful with each of his devastating victories,” said De La Hoya.
“Both of these fighters come from boxing families. Boxing is in their blood. To Canelo and Smith, fighting is a family tradition and with that comes a responsibility to live up to the family name.
“That said, both of them will come to the ring on September 17 to wage a war: for Canelo, to claim a new title as the WBO junior middleweight world champion and for Smith, to successfully defend his WBO title once again and make a name for himself in the U.S.”
Smith’s compatriot Billy Joe Saunders is set to co-feature on the bill, although an opponent for the middleweight belt holder is yet to be made official for the Texas event.
