Liam Smith made his wildest dreams come true by rendering a slick American unconscious to win the WBO super welterweight world championship.
In his esteemed career, ‘Beefy’ has picked up many a big win, from Chris Eubank Jr, to Jessie Vargas. Smith also set up a Canelo Alvarez fight after finishing Predrag Radosevic.
However, his most important night came on October 10, 2015, when he scaled the mountain against a fighter who’d done his utmost to get under his skin.
During the press conference, the New Jerseyan threatened to ‘f—‘ the Liverpudlian up. And it’s fair to say he paid for that during the fight.
WOW: Chris Eubank Jr was dropped by the very first punch in a thrilling fight
Liam Smith stopped John Thompson with a huge right hand
In front of a raucous crowd at the Manchester Arena, Liam Smith and John Thompson, who’s now listed as Apollo Thompson, on Box Rec, went to war for the vacant 154lbs crown.
With tensions between the pair at boiling point, they both entered the ring with a point to prove.
However, while the Scouser would’ve loved to have asserted his dominance early, it was the American who got off to the faster start.
In the first few rounds, Thompson got the better of the action, utilizing his superior technical skill to outbox his opponent.
With the world title slipping out of his grasp, Smith knew he needed to go through the gears. And he did so in abundance.
By the sixth round, the Englishman had found gaps in his rival’s defense, which he began to exploit on a regular basis.
Going into the seventh segment, Smith knew he had Thompson right where he wanted him. After a sustained period of pressure, he detonated the greatest right hand of his life, dropping his adversary to the floor.
Despite his best efforts to rise to his feet, the brave American was finished, and the Brit was the new world champion.
Canelo Alvarez finished Liam Smith with a ruthless body shot
After claiming the WBO strap, Smith made two successful defenses before putting his belt on the line against Canelo Alvarez.
On a night he’ll never forget, the brawler went toe-to-toe with the Mexican in front of a crowd of 51,240 spectators at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, the underdog produced a valiant effort, convincing some fans that an upset was on the cards.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, as in the ninth round, Canelo knocked Smith out with a brutal body shot.