Liam Smith-Predrag Radosevic Title Fight Set, 6/4 In Liverpool

By Elliot Foster

Liam Smith finally has a challenger for his homecoming appearance next month.

The WBO super-welterweight world champion will next defend his crown versus 31-year-old Montenegrin Predrag Radosevic (30-1, 11 KOs) on June 4 at ECHO Arena in Liverpool, England.

The show –– billed ‘The Homecoming’ –– will air exclusively live in the UK on BoxNation.

Smith (22-0-1, 12KOs) won the world title last October at the Manchester Arena before making his first defence at the same venue just over two months later, The upcoming showdown versus  Radosevic will mark his first piece of ring action in 2016.

The 27-year-old stopped Jimmy Kelly Jr. inside seven rounds on December 19 and had been scheduled to box at the ECHO Arena in March, on the undercard of Terry Flanagan’s WBO lightweight title defence against Derry Mathews, but it was decided that ‘Beefy’ (22-0-1, 12 KOs) would take a break and return later in the year.

Radosevic, who is number 11 with the World Boxing Organisation and hold’s the body’s European title, is on a three-fight winning streak since losing his unbeaten record at the hands of WBA super middleweight champion Felix Sturm in July, 2013, and was last in action last October.

Liam Williams, the British and Commonwealth super welterweight, will fight for the first time since last December in an eight-round contest.

He was scheduled to defend his belts at Harrow Leisure Centre last month, but the show was scrapped after a suitable challenger wasn’t found following the withdrawal of original opponent Nav Mansouri through an achilles injury.

The show also features Tom Stalker, who fights for the first time since his second draw with Craig Evans in December in a title fight, plus a pair of European title showdowns –– with Ryan Farrag defending his bantamweight bauble against Karim Guerfi and Jazza Dickens and Abigail Medina contesting the vacant crown at 122lbs –– and Zolani Tete defending his IBF International bantamweight title.

Meanwhile, Joe Costello (5-0, 3 KOs) will box for the second time in three weeks after he makes his return from a car accident on May 13 at the Premier Suite at Bolton’s Macron Stadium, while Declan Geraghty is also set for action.

And Kalam Leather will join his brother, undefeated super lightweight Josh Leather (9-0, 3 KOs), on the card as he makes his professional debut after signing a contract with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions.

Elliot Foster is the primary reporter for the BoxingScene.com UK news team. Twitter: @FreelanceFoz