Former WBO junior middleweight champion Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith 30-3-1 (17) showed he still has plenty left in the tank after he overcame a rocky start to stop Anthony ‘The Machine’ Fowler 15-2 (12) in eight rounds at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England on Saturday night.
The 33-year-old Scouser was on the wrong end of a blistering attack in the early rounds that saw Fowler take the lead. Smith was cut over the left eye in the opening frame.
But Smith showed his experience to weather the storm and patiently worked his way back into the fight. He cut the 30-year-old Liverpudlian over the left eye and in the fifth round landed a counter right hand that sent the younger man to the deck.
Fowler slowed down after tasting the canvas and Smith picked his spots to attack. In the eighth a well-timed left hook sent Fowler down again.
Although he beat the count, referee Howard Foster wisely waved off the contest at the 2:04 mark.
“I started very slow, but from start to finish we did a very good job,” Smith said. “I felt [a punch] in round four or five that shook me a little bit. I have no disrespect, but I said all along I’ve been in with bigger punchers and I feel like I’ve got a good chin at this level.”
Smith said he thought the fight was about to be called after the first knockdown.
“I thought it was over then, I’ll be dead honest with you,” he said before adding that his dreams of another world title shot would be over if he lost.
Fowler was magnanimous in defeat.
“I thought I made a good start. He was a class act, I’m not stupid,” Fowler said. “The better man won. It’s nothing personal. I tried my very hardest tonight. My head was still quite clear, believe it or not, but maybe the ref done me a favour.”
Smith is now targeting fellow former world champion Jessie Vargas 29-3-2 (11) for his next fight in early 2022.
In the main support bout Troy ‘Trojan’ Williamson 17-0-1 (13) scored a brutal 10th knockout over Ted ‘The Big Cheese’ Cheeseman 17-3-1 (10) in an all out war.
The seesaw battle was fought at a high pace with both boxers having their moments but if was Williamson who ultimately prevailed with a left hook to the jaw.
“It was a very tough fight. We knew exactly how tough it would be. I worked my arse off in the gym with my coach,” Williamson told DAZN.
“I know how tough I am and I’ve shown everyone tonight. Nobody has got to see me perform because I’ve always been on these small-hall shows. I’ve come up the hard way and now I’m here everyone knows what Troy Williamson is all about.”
Cheeseman’s promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted: “That was just a brilliant brutal fight. Gutted for Ted but Troy was brilliant.”
