Gallagher: “Liam Williams has always been two years behind Beefy”

In the fight game, there’s an old adage that you can’t buy, steal, beg or borrow experience and Manchester trainer Joe Gallagher believes that Liam Smith’s superior seasoning will be the crux to Team Beefy emerging victorious when the ex WBO champ goes to battle against unbeaten Welsh warlord Liam Williams, the unbeaten British champion, in the unmissable super-welter shoot out at Manchester Arena on April 8th.

Scouser Smith is four years older, boasts eight more pro fights (four at world title level), 60 more pro rounds and has been fighting for pay for 37 months longer. Speaking to Glynn Evans, former Ring magazine Coach of the Year Gallagher stated:

‘The way Liam Smith sees it, Williams’ team turned the fight down a couple of years back saying he wasn’t ready then, and ‘Beefy’ thinks he’s not ready now. No doubt Williams wanted the fight back then but his team didn’t believe in him. Why not? The seed of doubt will have been sown.

Liam Williams has always been two years behind ‘Beefy’, a prospect while ‘Beefy’ was making British title defences and carving his name on the international scene. Williams has since grown into the role of champion himself after picking up the British and Commonwealth titles that my Liam discarded. He’s a solid operator with a good jab, good balance, good timing and good shot selection. I know his trainer Gary Lockett studies Liam Smith a lot and will devise a decent game plan. Team Williams has been growing in confidence of late.

Yes, he’s very strong, a good body puncher and he carries a heavy right hand. But he’s got longstanding hand problems and he’s going to have to throw hard and often if he’s to stand any chance of upsetting Liam Smith.

I’m sure that Team Williams feel they’ve now got the momentum here, that the timing is right for them. That’s great but ‘Beefy’ was on a similar run before the ‘Canelo’ fight and it’s not as if he lost to a Latvian!’

Super-Welterweight rivals Liam Smith and Liam Williams clash in one of the most anticipated domestic dust-ups in recent times on a show headlined by Terry Flanagan defending his WBO World Lightweight Title against tough Petr Petrov; slick South African Zolani Tete faces Arthur Villanueva in a final eliminator for the WBO World Bantamweight strap; double Olympic Gold Medallist and women’s boxing icon Nicola Adams OBE fights for the first time as a professional and former Team GB Heavyweight monster Daniel Dubois makes his highly-anticipated professional debut along with a talent packed undercard.

Tickets for April 8 priced £50, £70, £100, £150, £200, £300 and VIP £500 are available from eventim at www.eventim.co.uk and 0844 249 1000 and the Manchester Arena at www.manchester-arena.com and 0844 847 8000.