Liam Smith's performances are at "another level", according to Ben Shalom, who thinks the Chris Eubank Jr fight is "ready-made for him"; watch Liam Smith take on Chris Eubank Jr in Manchester on January 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Friday 6 January 2023 16:19, UK
Liam Smith's "performances have gone to another level", according to promoter Ben Shalom, who believes the Chris Eubank Jr fight is "ready made for him".
The Liverpudlian is just a few weeks away from an all-British middleweight battle with Eubank Jr in Manchester on Saturday January 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with the winner advancing towards a world title fight, while the loser must seriously consider their future in the sport.
Eubank Jr is still striving to win his first world title, but Smith has already proven himself at the highest level, having previously claimed the WBO super-welterweight belt, and his promoter Shalom says the 34-year-old has rediscovered his finest form after wins over Merseyside rival Anthony Fowler and former world champion Jessie Vargas.
"This is a big, big fight for him, he's had a wonderful career, he's done everything that he's dreamt of, but he's almost having an Indian summer," Shalom told Sky Sports.
"The past 12 months for him have been an amazing 12 months so people will have enjoyed watching him box. He's one of the most intelligent boxers I would say in British boxing at the moment and he feels that this is a fight ready-made for him and this is the fight that he wanted.
"Liam is a big guy, he'll be more than comfortable at that weight, it's a weight I think he feels more comfortable at now so it's a serious fight and Eubank will be glad that he can fight at his chosen weight as well. I really believe the real boxing fans know that's a real 50-50 fight, it could go either way.
"Liam as I say is an extremely smart fighter. One thing's for sure, they're both come-forward fighters and it's going to be explosive from round one. Delighted that we're going to see it.
"This is a real fight, this is a boxing fans' fight. This is two big names in the sport. Liam Smith former world champion and has achieved things I think Eubank will want to achieve in the next year or two. So I think it's the perfect fight at the right time."
Smith has laughed off claims that Eubank Jr is not taking him seriously, and even suggested that his bitter rival will need to enforce a rematch clause for a second fight in Liverpool.
"I think Anfield's begging for a fight. So I think if it's good enough, then we can take it back to Anfield," Smith told Sky Sports.
"I'm 100 per cent confident of beating Chris Eubank Jr and if anything I'll probably have the option to stay at middleweight, go back to 154lbs if [the world] titles become vacant or whatever.
"I fully intend on beating Chris. It's not going to harm any of my rankings, it's not going to move me back from the position I'm in. I think I'll beat Chris and then we'll see how the picture unfolds."
Shalom added: "We want to see the best of Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith certainly wants to fight the best Chris Eubank Jr. He's a competitive guy. He wants to be in there with the best version of Chris and he's going to get that at 160lbs… Liam is ready for middleweight… His last fight was at middleweight… He's now ready for it and we're going to a great fight.
"It's a massive fight. It's one that Liam's wanted for a long time. It's one that Chris likes because he knows it's such a big fight. Liam's got a huge fan base in the north west and Liverpool, he's a former world champion and is almost having a bit of an Indian summer in terms of his last three or four fights. His performances have gone to another level. So I think it's a very interesting fight.
"[For Eubank] it's the fight he wants. He just wants the big fights."
Watch Liam Smith take on Chris Eubank Jr in Manchester on January 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Tickets are on sale now at Boxxer.com
