British former world champion Liam Smith, set to compete on the undercard of the September 21st event headlined by Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, has revealed that his departure from the Ben Shalom-owned promotion of Boxxer was anything but amicable as he opened up about the promoter’s behavior behind the scenes, particularly after his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. last September.
Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KO’s), who last fought and lost to fellow Brit Chris Eubank Jr (33-3, 24 KO’s) in September 2023, confirmed he had been in contact with both Matchroom and Queensberry Promotions over the past year during a recent interview.
“I’m not with Ben [Shalom] and I certainly won’t go back with Ben, so leave Ben where he is. I’m in the same situation when I last spoke to you [JNMEDIAUK] last. I was a free agent, I got offered fights by Frank [Warren], Eddie [Hearn], and this card was the one that made a lot of sense for me.”
— Liam Smith
While Smith is coming off a stoppage loss to Eubank, an opportunity to get back in the mix has presented itself with the September 21st card set to be held at Wembley Stadium in London. Smith will be facing former welterweight (147 lbs) and super welterweight (154 lbs) contender Josh Kelly (15-1-1, 8 KO’s), who will be making his middleweight (160 lbs) debut during the fight.
Smith, who signed with Boxxer in 2022 and had three fights under their banner, appeared relieved at having left the promotion. This was not just due to the options he has as a free agent, but also due to Shalom’s behavior towards him, which spurred his decision to enter free agency.
“I’m not false. I never will be, but just one word you’ve [JNMEDIAUK] said there; we [Smith and Ben Shalom] never had a relationship. That’s the bottom line of it. It was what suited him. Like I said, I beat Eubank, he asked me to go for a meal the next day. I lost to Eubank, I haven’t heard nothing of him since. I’ve never had the phone call since I lost to Eubank, let’s put it that way. He’s a piece of s***. I’ll just leave it at that. He knows where it stands. I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”
— Liam Smith
Ben Shalom is currently the promoter of Josh Kelly, making for an interesting dynamic as Smith battles his former promotional stablemate in a bid to become a genuine middleweight contender again.
The allegations Smith made towards Shalom, which revolve around the promoter currying favor with Smith after he won against Eubank following their first match, while unconfirmed, do bear an explanation of Boxxer’s decision-making over the last few years.
Most prominently, the continued withdrawals of Boxxer fighters from mandated purse bids seem contrary to what boxing promotions exist for. The role of a promotion is actually to ensure a fighter gets opportunities such as purse bids, which are based on mandates by a sanctioning or governing body for a fighter to engage with another high-ranked contender or a champion.
The case of British heavyweights Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KO’s) and Frazer Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KO’s) is perhaps the most glaring example of Boxxer’s interference, with Clarke maintaining his own withdrawal from their purse bid had been forced.
Smith’s sentiments towards Shalom can therefore be better explored, and may hit at a point that goes beyond just a personal matter as Boxxer seems to have plenty of skeletons in the closet―which might leave it vulnerable to future legal disputes if their alleged authoritarian behavior bears any truth.
