Liam Smith would consider Jarrett Hurd fight

Liam Smith

LIAM SMITH has discussed his heartache after making the decision to pull out of his WBO super-welterweight challenge against Sadam Ali, which had been scheduled for May 12 in America.

Smith pulled out of the fight last week citing a medical problem, as it was revealed the former WBO champion had suffered an allergic reaction and virus illness. The Liverpudlian confessed he was โ€œguttedโ€.

โ€œIโ€™m gutted, thatโ€™s why itโ€™s such a hard pill to swallow,โ€ Smith said. โ€œIโ€™m okay and Iโ€™m not injured in the fact Iโ€™m not out with a bad hand or an elbow or back injury itโ€™s just an allergy and a virus that kept me out of training for seven days.

โ€œTwo weeks before a world title fight, seven days on the couch is not good for no one and it was just the right decision to make, but itโ€™s still a hard one to take and one I have to just move on from.

โ€œI know Iโ€™ll get my shot and that is why the decision was made because I know Iโ€™ll get my shot and when I do get it I want to be right. โ€œ

Smith has just one loss in the way of a ninth round stoppage at the hands of Saul โ€œCaneloโ€ Alvarez in September 2016 at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. After the fight it was revealed Smith had suffered a cut during sparring.

The cut hindered Smithโ€™s ability to proceed with sparring for the last four weeks of his camp, something โ€œBeefyโ€ felt affected his performance, adamant to learn from his mistakes the 29-year-old withdrew from his opportunity to regain the world title.

โ€œIโ€™m not going to go ahead with it like that againโ€ Smith explained. โ€œIt’s not that the cut was the case for me losing against Canelo, but the cut cost me the chance to look better in that fight.

โ€œI had moments in the fight where I know with a better camp of sparring I couldโ€™ve looked better and come out of it with more credibility than probably what I already got.

โ€œI went ahead with that but people know I don’t just pull out of fights with any tiny little niggle. I get niggles all the time but I go ahead with every fight, I’ve never pulled out of one fight in nine years, not a four rounder, eight rounder, ten rounder, Iโ€™ve never pulled out at any level.โ€

liam smith

Mexican Jaime Munguia was announced as a replacement, however Smith is still hoping to challenge for the WBO title against the winner.

Smith said, โ€œThatโ€™s my full focus now and making sure the WBO do the right thing and keep me mandatory for the winner of the Sadam Ali and Munguia fight. Frank [Warren his promoter] is going to push for that and thereโ€™s no reason why I wouldn’t still be mandatory.

โ€œIt’s a valid medical reason, Iโ€™ve got doctors notes and Iโ€™m just injured, I only wanted the fight postponed three weeks, a month but Iโ€™m sure because of Ramadan he has to fight now.โ€

Despite targeting the WBO strap, Smith refused to rule out other avenues and revealed unified champion Jarrett Hurd could be a possibility, after the American called him out.

โ€œWeโ€™ve seen interviews with Jarett Hurd and heโ€™s saying heโ€™d like to fight meโ€ Smith said.

โ€œI think he meant if I had the WBO title as well but if I was to get offered Jarett Hurd for the WBA and IBF itโ€™s a different kettle of fish.โ€

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