Canelo Alvarez Will Find Liam Smith a Tougher Nut to Crack Than Amir Khan
Liam Smith has got his wish.
On September 17, Beefy gets the big fight he has been desperate for—and it doesn't get much bigger than Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
While Alvarez's decision to step back down to super welterweight has disappointed many, considering it rules out a clash with Gennady Golovkin in the very near future, it has gifted Smith a career-defining night.
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The bout has been criticised in the United States, a place where Smith—the reigning WBO champion at 154 pounds—is an unknown quantity to all bar the hardcore boxing fan.
However, and stay with me here, the bout does make some sense for both parties involved.
Canelo (47-1-1, 33 KOs) gets a chance to immediately fight for a title at what is seemingly his preferred weight limit, while Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) has the opportunity to make a name for himself.
Nevertheless, it's understandable that not everyone is impressed by the matchup.
Smith picked up the vacant belt by beating John Thompson in 2015 and has since defended it against Jimmy Kelly and Predrag Radosevic. It's more than likely the 27-year-old from Liverpool has had tougher sparring sessions than those three fights.
Alvarez has had it a bit tougher, with his last outing against another fighter from England—Amir Khan.
For Khan, it was a step into the unknown. A welterweight by trade, he took a leap of faith in his abilities and agreed to move up to a catchweight of 155 pounds.
It was a gamble the Bolton boxer felt was worth taking. The majority, however, felt it was too much to ask. Sure, he might dazzle in the early stages, but eventually Canelo would land a big shot.
As it turned out, the majority were correct.
Khan's fast hands presented problems in the opening rounds, but eventually he left himself exposed to a right hand that put him in a worse state than the current British political scene following the EU referendum vote.
So why should anyone believe things will be any different when Smith faces Alvarez?
To start with, he is a bona fide super welterweight. Beefy was British and Commonwealth champion in the division before going on to claim the WBO crown.
Size matters in the ring, and Smith physically matches up well with Canelo, as ESPN Stats & Info tweeted:
He's on a good run of form, too. Despite a career knockout ratio of 54 per cent, per BoxRec, he's won his last eight on the spin inside the distance.
His style isn't about producing one-punch knockouts like the one Canelo delivered on Khan. Smith is all about pressure. He swarms foes, cutting off the ring so he can get up close. He targets the body wisely, too.
Former fighter-turned-trainer Jamie Moore wrote in his Sky Sports blog: "Some of the nice stuff he [Smith] does is on the inside and goes unnoticed. Everyone thinks fighters who fight on the inside are not as intelligent as fighters who fight on the outside but that's not the case. You've got to be just as smart, slick and cute on the inside."
The one area of concern for the second youngest of four fighting siblings (and the only one of the brothers to have won a world title) is his lack of experience at the highest level.
While he has had 24 fights as a pro, none of his previous opponents have been anywhere close to Canelo's standard. If the Mexican superstar is the boxing equivalent of eating at a five-star restaurant, Smith has spent his time feasting on fast food. It did a job at the time but lacked any real substance.
Now he is at the top table of boxing. Alvarez isn't just a big deal in the division—he's a big deal, full stop.
For Smith, it is a wonderful occasion to prove he truly belongs to mix in such circles, to prove his doubters—some of whom may never have even seen him perform before—wrong.
Even in defeat he can come out with credit, albeit the idea of being a plucky loser isn't part of his grand plan.
His promoter, Frank Warren, believes a shock could be on the cards. He wrote in his blog on FrankWarren.com:
"He is a cannier fighter than Khan and, indeed, other super welterweights. He has stealth and style, along with a mean streak—and he can bang.
Unfortunately Amir didn’t carry the punch power at the weight but, this time, against another Brit, I think Canelo will have his hands full and will discover that Smith’s style has often been likened to that of a Mexican.
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It would be some shock, too.
Canelo has lost just once in 49 fights—and that was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, take a closer look at his recent outings and you can pick holes in them.
As already mentioned, Khan was a welterweight who stepped up two divisions in the hope of doing something that would be talked about long after he retired.
Prior to that bout, the Mexican went 12 rounds with a past-his-prime Miguel Cotto.
Alvarez did knock out James Kirkland in May 2015. However, if you check Mandingo Warrior's record, you'll see it was his first bout in 17 months.
Cagey Cuban Erislandy Lara troubled Canelo before coming out on the wrong end of a split-decision verdict in 2014. In the aftermath, the winner said, per Doug Fischer of The Ring magazine: "There’s a saying that to make love, you need a partner, and it’s the same thing with boxing, to make a fight you need a partner."
In Smith, he's definitely found someone willing to consent to a fight.
Khan didn't lose to Canelo because of a lack of ability. He lost because he bit off more than he could ever possibly chew. It also didn't help his cause that he has a propensity to leave his chin badly exposed.
Crucially for Smith, he is free from the weight of expectation. There is no pressure on his shoulders, just a desire to do himself justice. As underdogs go, he could be a pretty dangerous one on September 17.
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