LIAM SMITH is weighing up two fight offers from America as he considers his next move.
Three months on from his loss to Chris Eubank Jr in their delayed rematch, Smith told Boxing News that despite the one-sided defeat his career is still in a good place.
“I’ll get back,” the 35-year-old vowed.
Smith has spent the time since the fight letting his injuries heal. A back problem had postponed their second encounter previously and, on the night at the Manchester Arena, the Liverpudlian suffered an ankle injury which affected his mobility. The fight was eventually stopped in the 10th round by referee Kevin Parker.
“If I lost to Chris in good circumstances, if I had a great camp, if I didn’t feel any of the things I thought [then], I’d have retired the next day after the fight, but I know the situation I was in,” Smith said. “I know how poor I performed and the reasons why I performed like I did. I’m still in a very good position. I’ve got very good offers at the moment. I’ve got two huge, surprising people who are trying to make a fight with myself asking me when I’ll be ready. You’re talking world title fights; you’re talking final eliminators. I’m in a good position, surprisingly, coming off the back of a loss to Chris. I think that speaks volumes of people understanding the performance and the reasons.”
Smith revealed he hopes to return in March in a fight with no pressure and no concerns over making weight. And having fought at middleweight twice against Eubank Jr, the time may have come to return to super-welterweight for the next phase of his career.
But with Eubank Jr and Smith tied at 1-1, would the former WBO 154lbs belt holder entertain the trilogy bout?
“I’d love that to happen. I’d pay money out my own pocket to fight Chris again. That’s one [loss] that eats away at me. He’s probably going to take that win and go elsewhere instead of trying to have the trilogy and beat me convincingly next time. We’ll see how it plays out. If you’re not going to fight Conor [Benn], who’s he going to fight? I’m not really concentrating on them.”
A fight which Smith has been linked with previously is one against Tim Tszyu. The Australian has been in imperious form recently and now holds the WBO belt which Smith won in October 2015. Tszyu was elevated to full champion status after Jermell Charlo lost the strap when he moved to super-middleweight to unsuccessfully challenge Canelo Alvarez on September 30.
“That fight’s always there for me,” Smith said. “I know they’re mad to fight me; they always have been. I sat ringside with his promoter this year. I know Tim likes that fight also. It was a fight that was very close to happening in Covid. That fight’s always there but like I said it’s more about me getting myself back right, injury-free. If it’s at 154, it’s at 154. I only fought [Eubank] Jnr at 160. I feel I’m still 154 give or take. We’ll see, but don’t rule the Tim Tszyu fight out either.”
