Lessons have been learned by Josh Kelly and Adam Booth

Adam Booth insists he and Josh Kelly aren’t relying on a perceived decline in Liam Smith defining their date at Wembley Stadium of September 21. 

Their middleweight contest was an unexpected inclusion on the undercard of the IBF heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and the champion Daniel Dubois, and was widely viewed as Booth and Kelly attempting to capitalise on Smith’s fine reputation a year on from when his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr ended in a one-sided defeat.

That Smith’s only previous stoppage defeat came when he was at his physical peak, in 2016 against the great Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, made it tempting to conclude after that by Eubank Jr that his career at the highest level was over.

He regardless fought that night with an ankle injury that undermined his preparations, and it is partly that – the 36-year-old Smith has since said that Kelly wants to “finish” his career – that is in the forefront of Booth’s mind.

If it is tempting to draw comparisons between September’s fight and that in 2021 when Kelly was stopped by David Avanesyan in what represented his biggest test, it is also tempting to compare it to when Smith stopped the younger, fresher Anthony Fowler only eight months later. 

Booth has typically proven a shrewd judge of when to risk his fighters in more dangerous, higher-profile match-ups, but by his own admission the defeat by Avanesyan reminded him of when the ageing Carl Thompson unexpectedly stopped David Haye.

As with Haye that night in 2004 the trainer is convinced that Kelly, 30, has learned from what contributed to him suffering what so far remains the only time he has been beaten. He expects Smith to pose a greater threat than he did both in victory and defeat against Eubank Jr. He also believes that should Smith retain so much of what has given him so successful a career, Kelly – even on the occasion of his first fight at middleweight – will be ready come what may.  

“Liam is experienced,” Booth told BoxingScene. “He’s tough. He’s rough. Very, very subtly intelligent behind a style that might undermine that intelligence. I know what Liam is, and I’m looking at the Liam Smith at his best. I know he’s saying he thinks we think we’re getting him at the right time. I don’t think we’re getting him at the right time because of a demise in Liam – I think it’s the right time because of the ascension of Josh, and that’s it. 

“At some point you’ve got to test yourself in fights like this, and I know that Josh is now ready for this. I knew that he was ready for Avenesyan as a fighter, but as a man and mentally he wasn’t ready for it, so I’ve learned more as well. My making this fight is my belief in Josh – it’s got nothing to do with whether Liam’s on the ascension, the demise, or staying the same. I’m looking at habits and things that he does; I’m looking at the best Liam Smith. Not the one that had injury problems going into his last fight with Chris Eubank Jr.

“The first one he was outboxing Liam quite comfortably, and in the corner you heard [Smith’s trainer] Joe McNally concerned that Liam wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing, and you could hear that concern, and then Liam went out, dug deep, put a combination together and got rid of him. In the second fight Eubank Jr basically moved and grabbed; moved and grabbed, and kept pinging until the uppercuts landed. In the second fight he was very, very cautious not to get hurt by someone that got rid of him in the previous fight – and Liam wasn’t the same fighter that he was in the first fight. So I’m ignoring the second Eubank fight. I’ve even ignored the first Eubank fight. I’ve gotta go back further – where Liam is at his best – because we know he’s been in there with the best in the world.

“Josh Kelly’s not Anthony Fowler. Liam Smith’s Liam Smith, but Josh ain’t Anthony Fowler.

“I’ve been talking about this fight since January. After Josh’s last fight [December’s stoppage of Placido Ramirez] it’s about getting the ‘name’ fights, and progressing. He’s 30 years old; he’s in his prime. There were four names. Chris Eubank Jr, Kell Brook, Liam Smith and Conor Benn. They were the four, and the only one that was interested in it was Liam.” 

As with so many fights made with the money of the General Entertainment Authority, the date between Smith and Kelly was made with what appeared little notice, but Booth said: “It took some time, and then there was a discussion about the weight, but let’s be real – Josh is now a big super welterweight. If you see him now you’ll realise that.

“Liam Smith is a strong, experienced, rough, tough, skilled super welterweight, but getting to the age where it’s difficult to get down there – but in the ring, there’s not gonna be a lot of difference between them in weight, for different reasons. The fight absolutely makes sense, and it was no surprise to me, because it was one of the four we identified. They’ve sparred a couple of times, so they’ve both had a little chance to look at each other. That was probably two years ago – maybe more. 

“I like Liam. I like his family. I think his family are exceptional, for what they’ve done [brothers Paul, Stephen and Callum had successful fighting careers, and Stephen has become a trainer]. I had George Groves fight Paul Smith, and now I’ve got Josh Kelly fighting Liam Smith, and I know they know boxing, so I expect Liam to turn up, because he knows what Josh is and knows boxing well enough. For Josh to be able to test his skill set against someone that’s been in there with ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – think about how exciting that must be for him. I’m delighted the fight’s happening. I understand all the reasons it’s happening.

“The reason Josh lost to David Avenesyan is nothing to do with skill; nothing to do with physical ability. It was all the mental problems [he was struggling with hypochondria] that he had going on in his life, and they were problems that we didn’t know until six months into him looking into them. But that was how many years ago now? Changing him as a man means that battle will never happen again. So now it will be about his skills; his will; his physicality. 

“A guy called Steven Green – without him, we wouldn’t be here. He loves to stay in the background, but he’s a mindset coach. He used to be in the forces; served in Afghan[istan]; suffered from PTSD; was at rock bottom and turned himself around. He’s in the Guinness Book of Records for endurance activities, as well as being a mindset coach. He’s exactly the person that Josh needs. He’s the reason Josh has now got the chance to fulfil his potential.”