Former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Liam Smith (27-2-1, 15 KOs) completely destroyed Sam Eggington on Saturday night, March 30. It was truly a one-sided beating that took place.
Although Eggington is only 25 years old, it is highly improbable that he will become a championship threat.
Smith on the other hand placed himself in the mix with his performance. Let’s not proclaim Smith to be a world beater, but it was a very good showing.
A title shot shouldn’t be next for him. He still needs to prove that he is more than capable of getting the job done against the elite of the division.
Let’s take a look at who should be next for the former Jr. Middleweight champion.
Erickson Lubin
The 2016 ESPN prospect took a major hit when he lost his bid at a world title against then champion Jermell Charlo.
It wasn’t just that he lost, but how he lost. The first-round knockout he suffered was shocking to say the least. Since then he’s rebounded nicely with two-straight knockout wins.
The latter was at the expense of former champion Ishe Smith.
Both Lubin and Liam Smith could use each other right about now. If Smith can pull off a win against Lubin it would show that he is officially back as a top contender.
Kell Brook
It was not that long ago that Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) was considered the best in the Welterweight division. He is, after all, a former IBF champion at the weight. Losses at the hands of Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr. have knocked him down a few pegs.
Now that he is in the Jr. Middleweight division he has a chance to make some noise. A matchup between these two Britain born fighters would do very well over in the U.K.
More than just selling well it would give both of these fighters a chance to stake their claim as one of the best in the division.
Austin Trout
Let’s show a little love to the former Jr. Middleweight champion Austin Trout (31-5, 17 KOs). Arguably, no one has had a tougher schedule than he has. Unbeaten champion after unbeaten champion.
Unfortunately for Trout, he has come up short a lot as of late but he is still a threat in the division.
Trout has only lost to the cream of the crop. If Smith is as good as he says he is then he should step into the ring with Trout and prove it.
