Boxing
Liam Smith ready to move back into world title contention ahead of Jessie Vargas test
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Liam Smith is finally looking forward to sharing a ring with Jessie Vargas. The entertaining pair should've already traded blows but numerous incidents, most notably Vargas suffering from COVID-19, have delayed this intriguing clash at 154lbs.
Both fighters have been in a boisterous mood heading into this weekend’s battle at Madison Square Garden, exclusively live on DAZN, and it’s the Liverpool man who appears to be in better form.
Last October, Smith looked better than ever when stopping city rival, Anthony Fowler, whilst Vargas has only three wins from his last eight fights with his previous outing occurring in 2020 when losing to Mikey Garcia. Smith is more than ready, and he’s also got his eyes on a world title moving forward.
“Fight week is going very well. It’s very exciting. This fight should have happened two, maybe three years ago,” said Smith when speaking to DAZN's Steven Muehlhausen. “It's a long time coming, an itch that needs scratching and it’s become a little bit personal now. Both our careers are on the line, we’re not getting any younger, and it’s a must-win if we want to win titles again.
“I’ll answer the questions about his career on Saturday night, because if he’s got one foot out of the door already then he’ll quickly jump all the way out the door. A win puts me straight back into contention for world title fights. I should have had a cleaner year. I should have won in Russia [against Magomed Kurbanov], but the decision went against me. I’m still here and I’m still a big name in the 154lbs division.”
