In a mouth-watering domestic duel, former WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith and Birmingham’s big-hitting Sam Eggington meet on March 30.
After a courageous defeat to heavy-hitting sensation Jaime Munguia, Smith took time out and assessed his future. The Liverpool man then inked a deal with Matchroom Boxing.
The Joe Gallagher fighter knows he’s in the twilight years of a stellar eleven-year professional career.
Ahead of his forthcoming battle, Smith said: “I’m in a vital part of my career now. I think Sam is a good opponent to get started.
“I wouldn’t want a big southpaw coming for my first fight. I’ve got to put in a performance that makes you think you’re right in signing me at this stage.
“On that note, I feel it’s bad on the part of Sam to take the fight at this moment.”
Smith’s two defeats have both been to Mexican fighters in Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Munguia.
While he has no complaints with his KO loss to Alvarez, the Brit admitted he fancies a rematch with the latter and a chance to become a two-time WBO titleholder.
MUNGUIA
“Those two fights, proper like night and day for me. Obviously the ‘Canelo’ fight, we all know how good he is – he was one, two, three steps ahead of me, everything I tried. But I’ll stay in there and tough it out with anyone. If necessary and if I can do.
“The Munguia fight, I feel the momentum killed me. I had one fight in 10 months. He had five fights in 2018. In that fight, he was very, very green, and he wasn’t experienced.
“Things that I could try early doors were just coming off, and then obviously he kicked in. I started to fade towards the back end, he didn’t.
“That’s a fight I would definitely love again down the line with momentum. That’s a big part of signing for Matchroom. I feel they’ve got the dates, enough pull around the world to keep me busy.”
Joe Hewlett is lead writer for World Boxing News. Follow Joe on Twitter @Hewlett95
