Well, maybe. But probably not. It’s unlikely Smith’s handler Frank Warren would want to put that kind of heat on his WBO champ anytime soon. Anyway, it seems Smith is a very popular fighter these days, and all the more so since picking up a world title and destroying solid opposition such as John Thompson and Jimmy Kelly. To be fair, both of these challengers put in bold performances on their way to crushing defeats.
Canelo Alvarez’s team have rung in with an offer – probably as a kind of gap-filler while the Gennady Golovkin fight marinades (like it really needs to) – for summer/late 2016. Don’t ask me what titles would be on the line if Canelo vs Smith were to be made, cos’ I get a headache when I start thinking about Canelo’s infuriating 155-pound-his-way-or-the-highway division. Seriously, absolute migraine.
Then there’s the Khan offer. I know, things start getting kinda boring when discussing potential Amir Khan fights due to the guy doing more talking than fighting these days. But the fact remains that Frank Warren has offered Amir Khan a fight with two of his best talents: Liam Smith (at 154 pounds) and Bradley Skeete (147).
“[Amir Khan] should consider my offer to him of a fight with Bradley Skeete at welterweight, or if he finds any excess pounds he may have accumulated through his inactivity hard to shed, with our WBO super-welterweight champion Liam Smith,” Warren told World Boxing News.
“Khan has wasted almost two years abortively chasing fights against the Money Man and Pacman and has nothing to show for it. Surely he cannot be happy to use up another five months of his career waiting on the [Kell] Brook fight.”
If any, my money’s on a Canelo Alvarez showdown with Liam Smith. There’d be serious dough and exposure involved in such an event, and you never know, a ballsy bruiser like Smith might just sign up for that one. What’s your take on these potential matchups, readers? Could Khan handle Smith’s pressure? And would Smith be so effective against a big Junior Middleweight (or whatever weight you call it) like Canelo Alvarez?
