Liam Smith anticipates bigger battles following a second victory over Chris Eubank Jr. Smith, who was defeated in nine rounds by Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in 2016, cautions: "I had my moments in that fight." On September 2, watch Smith vs. Eubank II on Sky Sports Box Office.
Following a significant rematch, Liam Smith would welcome another one against Canelo Alvarez.
Smith will face Chris Eubank Jr. live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 2. He believes that a second straight victory over one of the top fighters in the middleweight class will open the door for a rematch with Alvarez.
After all, on September 30, Jermell Charlo will go up from super-welter to fight the Mexican boxing legend for his super-middleweight belts.In 2016, while the Liverpudlian was the WBO world champion and they were both super welterweights, Smith faced Alvarez.
Although Canelo stopped him close to the finish line, the Briton would still be open to a rematch.
"I think he lost the Bivol fight because he jumped up a step too far. I also think he overlooked Bivol, to be brutally honest with you," Smith said.
"All of a sudden now Bivol is 'the best light-heavyweight in the world'. But before the Canelo fight, he wasn't. It was [Artur] Beterbiev. People are forgetting Bivol was getting called the weak world champion when he was struggling with [Craig] 'Spider' Richards.
"That could have all been a method of madness that got him the Canelo fight and he beat Canelo, and he did beat Canelo. But I also do think Canelo did overlook Bivol."
Smith has now established himself at middleweight with his dominant showing against Eubank Jr in their first fight. Smith is confident a similar performance will set him up for more major fights down the line.
"I've already fought Canelo so [people might] think I'd never get that fight again," he said. "Regardless of Canelo, I just want to go into big fights again that people are talking about. I'd fight Charlo, I'd fight Charlo's brother [Jermall, the WBC middleweight champion] I'd fight anybody."
"I don't know what [titles are] going to become vacant. But also I have to just concentrate on this fight and go from there."
Smith cannot afford to be complacent, despite his confidence going into this second Eubank fight.
He is intent on "keeping professional, keeping my mind on what I want to do for the rest of my career and not coming unstuck against somebody that I know if I turn up against properly with my mind on the job that I beat.
"I want to go into bigger fights than this, earn more money than this and challenge for a world title again and all them things come off the back of another win," he continued.
"So it's just about staying focused and keeping my mind on the job."
He believes that his previous bouts with the likes of Canelo helped him against Eubank in January.
"Just the experience of being at that level. That's the top. That's the pinnacle. You take little bits that you don't even realise," he said. "I feel you have to just look at me versus Chris Eubank Jr. I think that speaks for itself. I embraced the whole night. I revelled in it. Chris looked like he was being walked through a jail cell."
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