Liam Smith prepared for a significant battle with Matchroom
Matchroom Boxing have introduced the signing of former World Champion Liam Smith.
The Liverpool Middleweight (33-4-1, 20 KOs) will return to the ring this 12 months – with a significant battle to be introduced in the end – the place he’ll resurrect his quest to rule the world as soon as once more.
Followers’ favorite ‘Beefy’ is without doubt one of the revered Smith Brothers, the well-known preventing household from Merseyside which incorporates siblings Paul, Stephen and Callum.
Collectively they’ve held a number of championships between them – together with the WBO World Tremendous-Welterweight crown that 36-year-old Liam memorably captured a decade in the past with a scintillating seventh-round stoppage over Apollo Thompson.
Now Smith, ranked at No.10 within the rankings by the WBC, is making ready to battle for the primary time since September 2023 – and he is able to launch his cost again to the highest underneath the steering of promoter Eddie Hearn.
“I’m delighted to be again working with Eddie [Hearn] and Frank Smith,” he stated.
“I’ve at all times had a fantastic relationship with Matchroom, the place they’ve promoted my brothers and, after all, myself just a few years again. It’s nice to re-sign with them and now we’re wanting ahead to some big fights collectively in 2025.”
Smith shocked Chris Eubank Jr with an emphatic fourth-round demolition in January 2023 in entrance of a sold-out AO Enviornment in Manchester.
The results of the return battle months later didn’t go his manner, nonetheless, and he revealed he will likely be watching his outdated adversary intently when he squares off towards Conor Benn.
“Clearly, I will likely be preserving a really shut eye on the massive battle developing in my division with Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn,” Smith stated.
“However usually talking I’m very enthusiastic about what the longer term holds for me, particularly with Eddie so intently concerned with the Riyadh Season exhibits and a number of the largest occasions within the sport.
“I’m buzzing to be working with Eddie and Frank once more. This can be a massive 12 months and I can’t wait to get going with Matchroom.”
Smith has been in with a few of boxing’s finest having cleaned up the 154 lbs division by profitable British, Commonwealth, WBA Continental and WBO Intercontinental Titles earlier than capturing the WBO World Title in 2015, of which he made two profitable defences.
He memorably confronted pound-for-pound nice Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez in September 2016 the place a valiant efficiency was finally ended by an enormous physique shot within the ninth spherical.
His eventual comeback path after Canelo noticed him overcome Liam Williams in back-to-back fights, which set-up a showdown for the WBO belt towards hard-hitting Jaime Munguia – taking the Mexican to the gap for the primary time, solely to fall brief on the scorecards.
A devastating eight-round stoppage over fellow Liverpudlian Anthony Fowler in 2021 arrange an eventual win over two-time World Champion Jesse Vargas at New York’s fabled Madison Sq. Backyard on the undercard of the traditional Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano tremendous present in April 2022 – his final outing underneath the Matchroom banner.
Virtually three years on, Smith is again – and Eddie Hearn is thrilled to have captured his signature.
The Matchroom Sport chairman stated: “Welcome again, Beefy! We’ve labored collectively earlier than, and we’ve at all times had a fantastic relationship.
“Liam definitely wants no introduction. The will inside him burns brighter than ever earlier than and I’m wanting ahead to seeing him in some big fights – stay on the worldwide residence of boxing, DAZN – that may hopefully propel him in direction of his dream of changing into a world champion once more.
“We are going to announce his return date quickly.”
