Liam Smith is licking his lips at the prospect of fighting Kell Brook.
The former WBO super-welterweight world champion was ringside in Sheffield on Saturday night to watch the Yorkshireman return from a 14-month hiatus.
Brook was in against America’s Mark DeLuca at the FlyDSA Arena, exclusively live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN Stateside, and dropped him twice before stopping him after one minute and 15 seconds of the seventh round.
The promoter of the pair, Eddie Hearn, stated shortly after the fight that a showdown between Brook and ‘Beefy’ would interest not only him but the British public and that it is one that is on the agenda for this year.
And Liverpudlian Smith echoed Hearn’s sentiments, confirming from ringside that he was there on a scouting mission and that he would be very open to taking that fight next, with one eye on it being a potential final eliminator for the WBO title which is currently held by Brazil’s Patrick Teixeira.
“I think it’s a massive fight in Britain,” said Smith, who wants to eradicate any thoughts of a potential fight between Brook and long-time rival Amir Khan. “I don’t think anyone will say Brook v Smith is a bad fight, it’s not, and if you talk about a fight between us, which I think will happen next, then it kills off the Brook v Khan situation.”
Smith, 31, was last in action at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona in December when he outpointed Roberto Garcia.
And now that ex-IBF welterweight king Brook has moved up in weight, Smith has said that the pair are on a level playing field.
“It’s a fight that excites me and it’s ultimately one that makes a lot of sense,” he added. “We’re at the same point in our careers. We’re both former world champions and neither of us appear close to getting a world title shot.
“Brook clearly isn’t the fighter he was but he has a lot left in the tank and I know for definite that I’ve got what it takes to get another title shot.
“I’m not trying to slate him, you might see a better Kell Brook against me but you’ll get more answers out of Kell Brook with me in front of him than you did when he just had DeLuca surviving after hurting him.”