Liam Smith Fighting to Earn Respect When He Takes on Saul Alvarez in Texas

When Liam Smith goes toe-to-toe with Saul Alvarez on September 17, he will be fighting for more than just the chance to extend his reign as WBO champion. For unbeaten super welterweight Beefy, the bout is not about earning money. It’s about earning respect.

"Respect" is a seven-letter word Aretha Franklin once sang so beautifully about. It is a tough thing to earn but even tougher to lose once you have gained it.

Smith has secured a fight he has craved ever since becoming a world champion. He has built his reputation in Britain as a tough, come-forward boxer who breaks down opponents with his close-range attacks, often targeting the body.

In the United States, however, he’s just seen as Canelo’s next opponent. An unknown quantity who can't be that good, judging by his record. He's certainly not the foe the American boxing community wanted Alvarez to be facing in the second half of 2016.

Some members of the American media have branded Smith a paper champion. True, he did only pick up the WBO strap after it had been vacated by Demetrius Andrade due to inactivity, and by beating John Thompson last October.

His two defences to date have been against Jimmy Kelly and Predrag Radosevic. Even the staunchest Smith supporter cannot argue those two were anything more than cannon fodder.

However, during the second of two promotional press conferences staged on either side of the Atlantic Ocean this week, Smith made it clear the U.S. journalists will find out all about his abilities on fight night.

He said, per FightNews.com: "I haven’t fought out there [the United States] just yet, but they’ll know why [it’s wrong to call me a paper champion] when I do. I’m going in there to stop Canelo. If I don’t stop him, it won’t be for the lack of trying."

For now, the 27-year-old can only offer words to counter those who see him as vastly inferior to Canelo. 

The only way to change those opinions is by performing when he steps into the ring at the AT&T Stadium. The venue is the home of the Dallas Cowboys, the house that Jerry Jones, the NFL team’s owner, built. It should be a fortress for Canelo too, as he will have plenty of fellow Mexicans there to cheer him on.

Yet during the two press events, which were staged in Texas and London, Smith has carried himself in a confident manner. There's been no outrageous bragging, just considered words to go with a steely look of determination.

He understands the size of the challenge at hand, yet he is also relishing the prospect of facing one of the biggest active names in the sport. This is a fight he wants, not one he has been forced to take.

His trainer, Joe Gallagher, believes Canelo’s team have made a mistake in picking the holder of the WBO belt.

Gallagher said at the media event in England, per the Press Association (h/t MailOnline):

"

Alvarez is a very, very good fighter, you only have to look at his record to see who he's been in with. The Mayweathers, the Cottos, but I do feel Alvarez and Golden Boy have made a huge mistake. I feel they should have taken the GGG (Gennady Golovkin) fight and got paid well.

The best man will win and the loser will go back to Mexico.

"

Of course, Smith and Gallagher were bound to talk the talk. The latter was particularly vocal before Scott Quigg, another fighter from his successful stable in the north-west, took on Carl Frampton in February, yet the occasion itself never lived up to the hype (admittedly Quigg wasn’t helped by a broken jaw).

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Amir Khan has used Gallagher’s gym during previous training camps. He is the last man to face Alvarez, suffering a knockout loss in May after moving up two divisions to take the fight.

Before ending up on the wrong end of a huge right hand in Round 6, Khan used his fast hands and fancy footwork to stay out of range. It was a cunning plan—until he got caught on the chin. 

Eventually, the bigger man got close enough to land a punch that levelled the Englishman. All the tactics and pre-fight talk were made meaningless by one shot.

Unlike Khan, Smith won’t have to worry about any issues with size or weight. He is a legitimate campaigner at 154 pounds, and will have a slender height advantage over his opponent (per BoxRec, the champion stands at 5′9 ½″ compared to Canelo's height of 5’9”).

He should, under no circumstances, consider replicating Khan’s tactics though. It’s not in his makeup to fight in such a manner.

As trainer Dave Coldwell told George Gigney of Boxing News that Beefy has to stick to what has worked for him.

"As far as what Liam has to do—anyone can say 'he needs to do this, do that,'—but it’s pointless if you’re suggesting things that fighter doesn’t usually do," he said "They should make sure Liam is focused on what he does best, he fights a certain way and he has got to be the absolute best he can be in that certain way."

Smith's methods should make for entertaining viewing, however long the contest lasts.

His aggressive approach could play right into Canelo’s hands, and he has obviously never faced a rival of such high quality. Alvarez and his team will study footage and come up with counter measures. It will also quickly become clear if Smith has a chin capable of coping under pressure.

But what else can he do other than face up to the challenge? He is from a fighting family, the second youngest of four boxing brothers. The Smiths don't tend to take a backward step, so why start now?

Liam should have earned a level of respect for taking this fight in the first place. Don't blame him for what might have been—he wasn't the one who declined a showdown with Gennady Golovkin at middleweight.

Yet the Liverpudlian doesn’t just want to be patted on the back for being brave. This isn't about boosting his bank balance while being a plucky loser. All he wanted was an opportunity to prove himself a genuine world champion. Canelo has given him that—now we have to wait and see if Smith can seize the chance.

He will certainly give it everything. That might still only be enough to earn him respect in defeat. If he wins, however, Smith would make sure he's remembered forever.

Follow @RobLancs79