Canelo Alvarez will aim to come out on top in yet another blockbuster fight when he takes on Terence Crawford in September.
All four super middleweight belts will be on the line for both Crawford and Alvarez as the Mexican aims to defend his undisputed status.
Between the pair, there are a combined 70 knockouts, meaning the night in Las Vegas could be an action-packed one.
Knocking out world champions is by no means an impossible feat for one of the greatest Mexican fighters ever, as his 2016 opponent recalled his stoppage loss to Alvarez.
Liam Smith speaks on knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez
Former super welterweight world champion Liam Smith claimed his title in 2015, with a win over Josh Thompson. Defending the belt twice, Smith was then paired with Alvarez.
Despite being the defending champion, things did not go according to plan for Smith. A knockout in the ninth round would see Alvarez dethrone the Englishman, giving Smith his first defeat.
In an interview with First Round TV, Smith recalled the loss to Alvarez.
Despite the loss, Smith said, “I was happy with how the fight went.” He then added, “Standing off the stool for round six, I thought, ‘Right, now we put the foot to the pedal,’ because it was still the fight I wanted… I was having my moments, he was there to be hit.”
However, ‘Beefy’ went on to describe the quality of Alvarez. “His ability was second-to-none. He had me twitching from 20 seconds in. His relaxed, Mexican style was like a constant feint. He had me twitching every minute.”
Liam Smith gives honest verdict on Canelo Alvarez’s punching power
Despite Alvarez earning a knockout victory over Smith via body shot, the Englishman does not feel the fighter has particularly large amounts of power.
When asked what Alvarez’s power was like, Smith replied, “That’s what the average man asks me on the street, ‘You fought Canelo, does he punch hard?’ And I’m like, no.”
Smith added, “Not no, cause obviously he does. But I’ve been hit harder in sparring by people. It was more how good he was.”