Liam Williams is effectively conscious that Chris Eubank Jr. has some benefits over Liam Smith.
Wales’ Williams, the one opponent to face Eubank and Smith, nonetheless thinks Smith will win their 12-round middleweight match Saturday evening at AO Area in Manchester, England. Williams acknowledged that Eubank hits more durable than Smith, but he expects Smith’s boxing IQ and protection to assist the previous WBO junior middleweight champion upset Eubank.
“I feel Smith is gonna win,” Williams advised Sky Sports activities for a section the community aired and streamed on its YouTube channel. “I feel it’s gonna be an awesome battle however, however I feel Smith might be gonna win.”
Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) and Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) have each crushed Williams by unanimous choice in 12-round fights.
Eubank knocked Williams (24-4-1, 19 KOs) to the canvas 4 occasions, as soon as apiece within the first, second, fourth and eleventh rounds. Eubank beat Williams by scores of 117-109, 116-109 and 116-108 final February 5 at Motorpoint Area in Cardiff, Wales.
Smith stopped Williams as a consequence of two cuts on his proper eyelid after the ninth spherical in April 2017 on the similar venue the place Eubank and Smith will meet Saturday evening. Smith then beat Williams by majority choice of their 12-round rematch, which passed off in November 2017 at Metro Radio Area in Newcastle, England.
Whereas Williams respects Eubank’s energy, he views Smith as a extra well-rounded fighter.
“I feel it’s a case of Liam Smith has a great novice background, he’s well-schooled, he’s obtained good protection, good head motion, the place he’s simply obtained all of the fundamentals down,” Williams stated. “And also you don’t at all times should be fancy to win and dazzling to be an efficient fighter. Yeah, so I simply suppose for them causes alone he’s obtained all bases lined.”
Williams believes Eubank could have a troublesome time hitting Smith, who has been stopped solely by Canelo Alvarez, with the kind of flush punches that might knock him out.
“Liam Smith will in all probability be simpler to hit, however you’d by no means catch him clear,” Williams stated. “There could be gloves and arms and shoulders [deflecting those punches]. I feel Eubank had a greater protection otherwise. It was like due to his ft. He was shifting out and in of vary and that’s clearly why I couldn’t put him down. However Smith, purely protection as you’d realize it, arms up, tight guard, he’s higher in that sense.”
Most oddsmakers have put in Brighton’s Eubank as a 3-1 favourite to beat Liverpool’s Smith. Their battle will headline a Sky Sports activities Field Workplace pay-per-view present in the UK and Eire (£19.95; 6 p.m. GMT) and a DAZN stream in america (1 p.m. ET; 10 a.m. PT).
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He may be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.