Wednesday 10 August 2016 13:10, UK
Liam Smith insists Amir Khan's knockout defeat to Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is an irrelevance and is planning to trade with the Mexican.
'Beefy' (23-0-1-KO13) defends his WBO world super-welterweight title against Alvarez (47-1-1-KO33) at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas on September 17 but will hear the opening bell as an underdog.
Alvarez previously reigned supreme at 154lbs before moving up to claim the WBC middleweight crown, a prize he defended in emphatic style with a shuddering sixth-round knockout of former world super-lightweight champion Khan.
Smith, though, is unfazed ahead of his third world title defence.
In an interview reported on boxingscene.com, Smith said: "The difference is that yes, I'm a natural super-welterweight. The weight will not play against me like it did with Khan and others.
"People say that Canelo gains a lot of weight, 20 to 25lbs, and I have no problem. So Canelo does not have an advantage with that. I can deal with the weight and height will not be a problem.
"I'll go for the knockout and if we have to go 12 rounds then I'll trust the judges to do their best work and I will get the victory if I deserve it.
They were smaller, but I'm going to compete on equal terms. I'm going to beat him without any fear.
"This is not about revenge [for Khan]. They had their chance and fell short, but without disrespecting them I think I'm a much more complete fighter than they were.
"I'm bigger. They were coming from 140 or 147lbs. They were smaller, but I'm going to compete on equal terms. I'm going to beat him without any fear."
Smith won the vacant world title with a seventh-round stoppage of John Thompson in October 2015 and has since halted 'Jimmy' Kilrain Kelly and Predrag Radosevic.
