Liam Smith and Liam Williams met in a much-anticipated revenge on Saturday night at Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, United Kingdom. Liverpool's Smith, formed by Joe Gallagher, emerged as the winner. Rhondda boxer Williams, coached by Gary Lockett, has again found himself on the wrong side of the result. I thought Williams should have raised his hand in the end.
The first fight, in April, ended with controversy. Williams (16-2-1, 11 KOs), was hit in the ninth round and suffered a double laceration at the right eyelid. The referee should have stopped the fight and go to the scorecards. Terry O'Connor, inexplicably, missed lacrosse and allowed the fight to continue. Williams went through the round but was pulled out by his corner, because of the severity of the cuts. The Welsh boxer was ahead on the score cards by the time he was retired, but the victory went to Smith Smith.
Before the rematch, Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs) had questioned Williams' heart. He received the answer, as Williams pushed the fight all night. Smith tried to move on the back and the meter. The essential was to get a clear winner and clear the stink of the first fight. I do not think we have clarified it. The comment, for this fight, on Boxnation & BT Sports is one of the worst I've heard. John Rawling mixed the fighters, giving Smith credit when it was his opponent 's landing. I had to watch the replay, with the sound off.
The opening round was an even affair, as both settled for the night. The following rounds saw Williams double on the jab and showing the greater accuracy of both fighters. Former WBO World Jr. middleweight champion Smith was often in single shots and it was not until the sixth round for the Liverpudlian to show more offense goal. It was the Welshman who was throwing snow flurries, often following the jab with rights or hooks. At several points, he landed a solid and fast uppercut. He seemed to hurt his right hand in the fifth (later revealed to be bruised). It was in this round that Smith returned Williams to the ropes and then landed a left hook, while his opponent's back was turned, quickly receiving a referee warning from Steve Gray. A beautiful straight landed by Smith but Williams responded with a volley of shots. Williams threw more while Smith looked lethargic. A beautiful right hand had Smith fall back to the ropes.
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Smith was digging good shots in the seventh, and it seemed like he was starting to take control of the fight. During the next few rounds, Williams boxed beautifully, the sharpest of the pair and had a big tenth round when he seemed to have his enemy stung by hooks. It was tenth that Williams fractured a metacarpal in his left hand. Smith closed the fight strongly, taking the last two rounds.
The fight was tight and competitive. Williams the boxer ahead, while Smith was looking to counterattack on the back foot. For me, Williams was throwing more and more accurately. The pace was slower than during the first fight, and it was a tactical battle rather than a fight. Fortunately, no break this time.
Judges' official scores: Phil Edwards 117-111, Dave Parris 116-112, Marcus McDonnell 114-114. Smith was the man who had his hand raised although I scored it 116-113 to Liam Williams. As the fights go, it was not a blatant theft, but I can not understand where the comment team and Judge Phil Edwards got their scores. It's like they're watching a different fight. Boxing is a tough sport and it must be demoralizing for the boxer, who is the victim of poor judgment.
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My American colleagues at The Grueling Truth both scored Williams as the winner. Jeremiah Preisser: 115-113 to Williams and John Einreinhofer: 116-112 to Williams.
Liam Smith, 29, showed a different element from his usual style. The lucky win now sees him online for a shot at the WBO World Jr. Middleweight title. Miguel Cotto is holding the belt, but has announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Smith will likely meet Russia's Magomed Kurbanov, 22 (12-0, 9 KOs) for the free belt in 2018.
Liam Williams, 25, completed the twelve full rounds for the first time in his career. He learned a lot from these two battles with Smith. He will feel hard done and rightly so. Once his hands have recovered, he will likely return to action in Wales, where he is a proven ticket seller. The goal will be to get a third fight with his rival and, hopefully, with a world title to win.
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