While junior middleweight titlist Liam Smith admits he's the decided underdog in his pay-per-view showdown against Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez on Saturday, he's not about to take on an underdog mindset entering the fight.
As Smith, 28, a native of Liverpool, England, is quick to bring up on more than one occasion, he is the only fighter who will enter the ring inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, wearing a world title.
Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs), who is one of four brothers who box professionally, recently spoke with ESPN.com about what's at stake for him in this fight against Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs).
Alvarez, as the face of the sport, seemingly has the power to fight whomever he wants. Why do you believe he chose you?
I think if you look closely at the fights now, he was always going to come back to 154. So if he doesn't fight for the title, it's a blatant excuse to get away from [Gennady Golovkin], in my opinion. So if he fights for the title, he has got a valid excuse. I have one of the belts at 154 at the moment. If you look then at the 154-pound champions, he looked to me. I obviously don't quite know in the States what his situation is exactly but I know I proved a fight with me is very easy to make. Also style wise, I think he can make a great fight with me and it will be a joy to watch for however long it lasts. There is no way this fight can be a bad one to watch.
Getting a chance to be around Alvarez on your recent press tour, what did you learn about him that may have surprised you?
There were a couple of things. There was not that much size difference between us at all. Being around him, I think he's a nice and okay guy. I don't want to pick on him too much. But you know, it seems like since he is at the top of the sport, everything has got to be on his say. People have to ask him to do things and if he says no then it's no -- simple as that -- as far as interviews and things. Like, we went outside for a picture on top of the AT&T Stadium. There was not one picture that was taken because he was hot and he wanted to get back in. It's just little things. When you are on the top of the sport, this comes with it. It is expected, if you get my drift. I just think he was a little bit of a primadonna, so to speak.
Alvarez has long battled criticism that he's overrated as a fighter because of his star power. Do you think he is worthy of the hype that has followed him?
Look, I think he's a very good fighter. At this weight class, he's a world-class fighter. I don't think he's overrated but I think Golden Boy and the people around him have done a very, very good job. I think he has been promoted very well. This little dinky kid with red hair who turned pro at 15 or 16, he has developed very well. You do have to admit in the fights that he has beaten some very, very good names but the timing of the names can affect things. He fought guys like Alfredo Angulo, Alfonso Gomez and Shane Mosley -- they were all never going to win the fight. It's hard to watch those fights. He's going against fighters who were retired or past their prime. He did not struggle with them but then he also did have very, very close fights with Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara. Both of them gave him nightmares. I know they are southpaw fighters but they also had a plan and were hungry fighters who came to win.
You enter this fight as the decided underdog despite holding the title. What are you looking to dispel about what people think of you with your performance?
I think I am the underdog, definitely from the American side, because not many of them have seen a few of my fights. I think if you have clips of stoppages and clips of fights here and there, people would be more confident. From my point of view, I am the underdog going into this fight. I'm not saying I'm not. But I'm the underdog because I haven't fought at that level yet against anyone of Canelo's level. I also haven't had the chance to. So when I beat Canelo, from my point of view, I will be able to say, 'I told you so. I told you I was at that level.' And the people around me will be able to probably say the same. From the American point of view, it would be a massive upset from their side because they don't see where I came from and where I'm at.
When you think back to when you first turned pro, did the opportunity for a fight this large come at a time in your career when you expected it to?
I think it's right on time. It's what I have been asking for, for a long while now since I won the title. I'm the champion and I look at it as the minute I became champion I was ready to face all comers. I'm not going to say I'm not ready for a fighter like Canelo Alvarez. I'm world champion so if I'm not ready for another fighter at 154, I don't deserve to be world champion. That's the way I look at it and what I firmly believe.
There is such a strong boxing tradition within your own family with your brothers Paul, Stephen and Callum. What do you believe is the reason for the success of four boxers from the same family?
I don't know what it is. We are good people who come from a good family and have a good coach. We are a down to earth people who happen to be fighters also.
When you stepped inside AT&T Stadium for the first time during the recent press tour, what were your emotions like?
When I stepped foot in the arena, I just thought 'we are finally here.' This is what you work so hard for. This is where you want to be. I saw my face in the middle of the playing field on a giant screen. From my point of view, it doesn't get much bigger than that. I think from my family's point of view also we are finally here. I have a chance to get a massive win for myself.
It has been difficult for fighters to get a close decision against Alvarez in recent years, especially in the state of Texas. How much does that play a factor in your strategy?
No, I don't think so. He has had a couple of close decisions that maybe could have gone against him but at the time I felt he had won the fights against Lara and [Trout] because I liked him better. He has more of a style like myself so obviously when I was done watching that fight I would like him the way he was doing it. I look at it as if I win the fight than the judges will have believed in me. Even though I'm the B-side in the fight, I am also the champion in the fight. I just hope to get some respect [from the judges] that way. I am confident we will.
Considering all you have been through in your career to get to this point, what do you imagine your emotions will be like walking to the ring Saturday inside a massive stadium against the sport's most popular fighter?
It will feel unbelievable walking in there and taking it all in. Obviously, I'm going to be the away fighter. People think that might get to me. Once I will arrive in the ring, I'm going to make the most of this fight because this fight I will remember for the rest of my life. From my point of view, this night is going to be remembered by the British people. Not from the American people as much, but from the British fans here who will watch me beat Canelo Alvarez. It's a massive night and opportunity and I'm going to cherish every moment of it because this is where every boxer dreams to be.