By Elliot Foster
Liam Smith has fired a warning shot to his next opponent.
The Liverpool super-welterweight takes on undefeated rival Liam Williams on April 8, exclusively live on BoxNation and BT Sport.
Smith, the former WBO world champion who is returning from last September’s ninth-round knockout defeat to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, faces the Clydach Vale-based British and WBO European king at Manchester Arena.
And 28-year-old ‘Beefy’ (23-1-1, 13 KOs) believes father-of-one Williams is taking a big gamble ahead of their showdown.
‘Dully’, 24, will travel to the United States for part of his camp, along with head trainer Gary Lockett, as he looks to get into the best condition of his career for what he admits is his toughest test to date.
But Smith says it could work against him with it all being new.
“It might affect them, it might not, or it might be great for them,” Smith, who recently returned from the City of the Angels where he was beginning camp by sparring top-level fighters, told Boxing Scene.
“They don’t [usually] do that. I’ve done that every year for the past six years, two or three times a year. Without sounding cheesy, it’s like home to me but they might not like it.
“Liam Williams has got a daughter back home; he might be homesick and missing his daughter and if that’s the case he’s certainly not going to be a happy fighter out there.”
There’s a saying within the sport that ‘a happy fighter is a good fighter’ and it’s one that Smith referred to regarding Williams being in LA.
“This could go many ways for them,” he continued, “and we won’t find out until fight night whether it’s been good or bad but time will tell.
“This is a fight that I’m looking forward to, a fight that’s on, a fight I’ve asked for, one I’ve got the bit between my teeth for and one I’m confident of winning as well.
“I’m proud to be opening [promoter] Frank [Warren’s] deal with BT Sport with being on the first show. It’s one that I can’t wait to kick-off and can’t wait to show the BT fans and the BT subscribers that boxing is back.
“I don’t need to do anything psychological to win this fight because I’m confident in my ability as a pro and confident that I’ll win the fight on my boxing ability alone with the style that I’ll take towards the fight.
“I don’t need to get into his head, I don’t need to wind him up at press conferences. I’ve got the edge going into the fight regardless.
“I don’t need an edge sitting at a table, I’m the better fighter and I know if I turn up on the night I can win the fight any way I want.
“Hopefully I’ll put on a very dominant show and get more people on the name and on the bandwagon of Liam Smith.”
