New WBO super-welterweight king Liam Smith spoke to Paul Wheeler in this week’s issue.
If all goes well for you on December 19 and you retain your world belt, what are your main targets for next year? Do you hope to be involved in a unification fight?
One million per cent, I want a unification. In March or May next year, I want a massive fight back at home or abroad. I’d love the Jermall Charlo fight – the chance to unify my WBO title and his IBF. That’s a route I’d love to go down. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the [super-welterweight] division now that Floyd Mayweather has retired. You’d have to think that his WBC and WBA Super world titles will become vacant soon, although the WBA may promote [‘regular’ world title-holder] Erislandy Lara to their Super champion, I don’t know what the situation is. Maybe I’ll be able to fight for one of those belts. I’d love to go over to America and challenge for another world title.
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