Warren: If Eubank Is Serious About A Fight With Liam Williams, Easiest Fight To Make

Frank Warren can at least take comfort in knowing there are options that await his middleweight contender.

The negotiation period remains ongoing yet is quickly approaching a deadline for Warren-promoted Liam Williams to work out terms for a mandatory title shot versus unbeaten WBO beltholder Demetrius Andrade. The two sides had until Jan. 30 to reach terms to avoid a purse bid hearing that will be called for early February.

Williams emerged as the mandatory challenger prior to the coronavirus pandemic, with the previously ordered fight shut down due to the ongoing global health crisis. Andrade (29-0, 18KOs) has not fought since then and is seemingly without a feasible option other than to honor his title commitment.

Of course, it takes two to tango and talks thus far have proven as unproductive as was the case a year ago.

If for whatever reason the fight doesn’t happen—and it’s tough to envision a scenario where Andrade walks from the fight and still keeps his title—there is at least one other high-profile opportunity that has come to surface. Second-generation middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. (29-2, 22KOs) has suggested through the media that he would not only love to face Wales’ Williams (23-2-1, 18KOs) but views such a fight as a tune-up.

“If he’s serious about a tune-up fight with Liam Williams, he’s got an opportunity to fight him,” promises Warren. “If he’s really serious about wanting to fight Liam Williams, it’s the easiest fight in the world to make.

“It’s really simple to get them both in the ring, 50/50 deal. Done, if it he wants it. Liam Williams will knock him out.”

Williams has knocked out everyone since suffering back-to-back losses to Liam Smith in 2017. Both fights took place at junior middleweight, having since moved up to the 160-pound division (along with two well-over-the-limit fights) where he has stopped each of his last seven opponents. Among his current streak are a 2nd round knockout of Karim Achour and a 5th round stoppage of Alantez Fox, both taking place in the second half of 2019 to advance to the number-one position in the WBO middleweight rankings.

A fight with Andrade remains the priority, although Eubank—if he’s serious about such a fight—does come with an interim WBA title in tow. The outspoken Brit recently inked a deal with Team Sauerland but remains without an opponent as he continues to train at the legendary Roy Jones’ farm-based facility in Pensacola, Florida.

It won’t take much to line up what would be Eubank’s first fight in more than a year.

“If Kalle [Sauerland] wants to get in touch with me about the fight, he’s got my number,” notes Warren. 

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox