Few fighters in modern boxing understand the sport as well as Liam Smith. Even fewer approach it with the same sense of their own position and self worth within it.

The former WBO junior middleweight champion is preparing for his upcoming fight with undefeated Irishman, Aaron McKenna, 19-0 (10 KOs). The fight will take place on the undercard of the middleweight grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.

DAZN will broadcast the event worldwide from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26th.

Smith, 33-4-1 (20 KOs), hasn’t boxed since being stopped in the tenth round of his rematch with Eubank Jr in September 2023.

That uncharacteristic performance came just eight months after he dominated and stopped Eubank Jr inside four rounds.

Smith had to withdraw from a proposed rematch with injury and the rescheduled date left him with too little time to prepare himself properly. Making weight became the primary focus of his training camp.

36 year-old Smith believes that he can still make some big waves at 160lbs but knows that it is time to prove it. He is going to bite his tongue until he gets past McKenna.

“Look, I think it is wide open,” he said. “I beat Aaron McKenna, I'll be very vocal about who and what and where but once I beat Aaron, give me any of them. Conor [Benn], Chris [Eubank Jr], Hamzah [Sheeraz], Carlos Adames. Give me anyone,” Smith told The Ring.

“I think it puts me right back in the picture.”

The middleweight landscape hasn’t altered a great deal whilst Smith has been out of the ring and - apart from the man who heads up Ring Magazine’s 160lb rankings, WBO and IBF champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly - the Liverpudlian doesn’t see anybody worth losing too much sleep over.

“It's wide open besides Janibek. Janibek’s in a league of his own at the minute. I think he's the best fighter out there,” Smith said.

“Look, I know he struggled with [Denzel] Bentley a little bit. He's had a couple of lacklustre performances. But on his day, Janibek's the best middleweight in the world and he beats them all.

“He beats [WBC champion] Carlos Adames. He beats [WBA champion] Erislandy Lara. Lara's still a good fighter but 40 years of age.”

Of all the fighters who have tried to overthrow the established order at the top of the middleweight division over the past couple of years, Hamzah Sheeraz’s star rose the quickest.

Last month, Smith was an interested observer as Sheeraz challenged Adames for the WBC crown.

Many installed Sheeraz as a hefty favourite when the fight was first announced but opinions slowly began to turn as the bout drew closer.

Although Adames eventually left Riyadh with his world title belt packed safely away in his luggage, he seemed unfortunate to have had to settle for a split draw after appearing to control much of the fight.

Whilst a broken hand undoubtedly affected Sheeraz, many were surprised by the way the fight played out. Smith wasn’t amongst them. The fight confirmed some long held thoughts he had held about the unbeaten 25 year old.

“I've asked for the Hamzah Sheeraz fight in the past. I asked for Hamzah instead of Josh Kelly [illness forced Smith to withdraw from a fight with Kelly last September]. It was one that I always fancied with Hamzah,” he said.

“If I pulled Declan [O’Rourke, an assistant at Smith Rotunda gym] in now, I've told him for two years. ‘I'm not sold on Hamzah’ and I think style-wise, I've always liked the match up against Hamzah.

“The first text I got off him, halfway through that fight [with Adames] was, ‘You’ve always said that with Hamzah.’”