Liam Smith has revealed memories of an old sparring session against Chris Eubank Jr are why he is so confident heading into Saturday’s fight.
Eubank claimed last week that the fact he couldn’t remember the time he sparred Smith means it must have been like any other training session for him.
However, Smith has fired back at those claims and believes the fact he is confident heading into the fight at the AO Arena is partly as a result of that sparring session.
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He said: "He thinks he battered me in sparring? He's got another thing coming. Look, I took this fight for a reason and I'm massively confident and sparring plays a part in that.
"If he battered his sparring partners, I wouldn't take this fight; I'm number two in the WBO at light-middleweight, I'm number three with the WBC.
"They put the rematch clause in. If he batters his sparring partners and if he's so confident in this fight, why put that in? That's proof in black and white."
Smith, speaking exclusively to the ECHO, has also hailed the environment trainer Joe McNally has created for him.
A former undefeated professional, McNally shared the ring with James DeGale and Adonis Stevenson as an amateur, before becoming Smith’s trainer for the second time a couple of years ago.
McNally, who also trains Josh Taylor, Thomas Whittaker Hart, Caoimhin Agyarko and JJ Metcalf, is assisted by Declan O'Rourke at his Rotunda ABC base in Kirkdale.
“They have played a big part. The old saying goes, a happy fighter is a good fighter,” Smith said. "They have been around me my whole career regardless of being my coaches.
"They have followed me everywhere. They have followed me around the world as fans. Now they are coaching me and having an influence on me. Look at the stable they have got now. They deserve it.
“They are both knowledgeable and have been boxing their whole lives. Both boxed their whole life and they are going to end up two top coaches in boxing.”
“They owe me percentages! Me coming here probably made people sit up and take a look at them,” Smith then continued when asked about McNally’s growing stable.
“Again, it is not being big headed, and it isn’t rocket science either, but if Liam can go there and trust them they must be good coaches.
“Then they come and have a trial and then everyone who has come and had a trial has stayed. Josh Taylor came and had a trial and stayed. So they have had a trial, liked what they have seen and stayed.”
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