June has represented a mixed month for the four Smith brothers over the years.

Two years after a three-fight stint against two-weight world champions Arthur Abraham and Andre Ward, Paul Smith Jr made his last professional appearance in 2017 when losing a wide 12-round decision to Tyron Zeuge in Germany.

Contender-turned coach Stephen Smith's penultimate fight came that month two years later, as part of a three-fight spell against journeymen up in the North of England closer to home comforts, having fallen short against the world's best at junior lightweight.

Callum Smith's first foray on the world scene came with a 12-round decision win over France's Christopher Rebrasse in June 2015, a year before older brother Liam stopped Predrag Radosevic in the second defence of his WBO junior middleweight title. Canelo Alvarez seized that crown, dropping him three times en route to a bruising 9th-round finish just three months later.

Nine years and countless training camps later, Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs) is in a difficult position after a forgettable return to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom team as they went 0-3 against Ben Shalom's BOXXER stable during The Ring's first-ever show headlined by Chris Eubank Jr's dramatic decision win over Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.

Two-and-a-half years removed from his own stunning 4th-round stoppage win over Eubank Jr, he's only boxed twice since and suffered damaging defeats in different ways - clearly compromised as Eubank avenged defeat after ten rounds of their rematch before Aaron McKenna's career-best display on April 26.

He'll turn 37 next month and knows, unlike Callum's defiant display against Joshua Buatsi in Riyadh, many question whether he is physically capable of producing a throwback performance against the division's elite at 160 pounds any longer. As they have all stressed previously about one another, he won't stick around and risk further damage if that isn't the case.

The way in which he dissected gymmate Josh Taylor's decision loss to Ekow Essuman told its own story, one former world champion telling another in no uncertain terms that it was time to seriously consider his future, given the rarefied air he once reached at junior welterweight.

As for the man himself, he accepts there are some lingering questions that need answering. While inactivity has played a part, nagging injuries have accelerated his in-ring struggles.

"I had a horrendous two years," Smith told The Ring. "A back injury, bulge on my disc, a disc prolapse, so from the Eubank rematch announcement onwards [June 2023], I've been hospitalised with my back, having epidurals, it's tough because the ankle and sore hands are different but your back? You just feel old.

"It was tough but I'm injury-free now, back training, playing golf and padel, it seems so far away when I couldn't walk straight, I was walking lopsided. So besides coming off a loss and feeling down, wondering whether it's the end or not, I'm okay in life. I've got two beautiful little girls at home, so a happy man."

McKenna, The Ring's No. 10-rated middleweight contender, has naturally reaped the rewards of a resume-enhancing victory on the biggest stage.

Ranked No. 9 with the IBF, a new entrant in the WBC's rankings at the same position and No. 10 with the WBA, the 25-year-old believes it's a springboard to even better opportunities but Liam suggested his own decline had more to do with the performance rather than anything special the Irishman produced over 12 rounds.

On whether Aaron had done anything differently to past opponents, justifying why there's such hype around the US-based talent, he didn't sound impressed.

"It's a hard question but I'm not going to tell you any lies, no, he didn't do anything I wasn't expecting. He didn't punch as hard, I feel like the Liam of old would've dragged him into a fight, the same way I did against a taller fighter in John Thompson [October 2015] to win the world title.

"I really could've dragged him into boxing my fight but on the night I couldn't, that's where I need to look and get some answers because why is that the case?"

Lightweight contender Frankie Stringer (10-0, 1 KO) returned with an eight-round points win over Kane Baker on Callum Simpson's undercard in Barnsley last weekend, having hinted that a big opportunity was in the offing for September. Smith manages the 24-year-old and by that stage, we should finally have some clarity for a fighter too often recovering on the treatment table in recent years.