A fabulous evening of British boxing comes to us from the Echo Arena in Liverpool this weekend and armchair fans can follow the live coverage provided to us by Sky Sports. With a stacked card and expert analysis from some of the game’s best-known faces, it promises to be a night of action that shouldn’t be missed, especially for dedicated followers of the noble art. Here are our top Liam Smith v Sam Eggington betting tips.
Liam Smith and Sam Eggington face-off in a headline act that has got people talking and at the conclusion of the 12 rounds he’ll find out the fighter that’s sure to challenge for major titles in the super welterweight category this year and the one that’ll be tossed on the scrapheap, sent tumbling down the rankings and out of contention. This is an unforgiving sport that says you’re only as good as your last fight, but we love the drama of it all.
As well as Smith v Eggington – which has kept punters guessing in the build-up – the evening also promises undercard delights such as Joe Hughes v Robbie Davies Jnr for the British and European super lightweight straps, as well as Anthony Fowler v Scott Fitzgerald, Philip Bowes v Tom Farrell – a Commonwealth title fight – and David Price v Kash Ali. There’s something for everyone at a venue that has served up some memorable bouts in the past and those in attendance and watching around the country will be settled into their seats from the first bell.
Let’s pick apart the main event as our boxing experts and sports betting professionals aim to nudge you towards a profit, ensuring bookmakers line your pockets as you enjoy the show.
Smith Edges Williams
Liam Smith goes into fight 30 of his professional career with a record reading 26 wins against two defeats and one draw. The spare share on his CV came back in 2010 when held to a surprise four-round split by Terry Carruthers, an opponent who had a 6-5-4 record at the time and finished 15-17-6. A man it always paid to take lightly. Beefy had no trouble moving on from that hiccup, however, and soon got back to winning ways.
His first defeat came in the summer of 2016 when stopped in nine rounds by Mexican sensation Saul Alvarez who pushed Floyd Mayweather hard a few years ago. Canelo was always in control of that bout in Arlington and eventually took his English opponent out in round nine when the beaten man was carrying a nasty looking cut and had already been down in both the seventh and eighth rounds. A well-timed body blow did the damage. As losses go, that’s not the worst one to suffer and Smith held his own against one of the best fighters on the circuit at the minute.
Three comeback wins next, beating Marian Cazacu on points over four rounds in a fight designed to bring Smith back to winning ways, and he followed that with the ninth-round stoppage of Liam Williams in an all-British classic. A cut stopped the action that night when it looked like the Welshman was on his way to scoring an upset win, so the pair did the decent thing and met in a rematch late in 2017. Another close contest, Smith got the nod courtesy of a majority decision, the scores reading 117-111, 114-114, 116-112. Close, but the right man won that night.
Looking to Bounce Back
The local lad does go into this bout on the back of a defeat and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways following another outing at the top level. He took his team to Las Vegas last time to meet another feared Mexican in Jamie Munguia, a man with a perfect 32-fight record and a devastating 81% knockout average. Many expected the Brit to be blown away early in that contest, but he won the respect of his critics when going the distance before losing on points.
Smith proved a point when standing with Munguai and he’ll be eager to prove he now belongs at the top level and this is a step down for him. That may even be true, but if he fails to beat Eggington, or isn’t convincing in doing it, he’ll find himself knocked off course, whatever the result. The pressure is on Smith to deliver here, get back to winning ways and show what he has learned on his travels. That’s exactly what bookmakers expect him to do.
The trading team of all major firms have Liam Smith marked up as strong favourite in the pre-fight betting and punters looking to stick with the Liverpool fighter will have to make do with 1/8 as there’s currently no better. That’s tight in a domestic clash but it is fair and even looks value when compared to the 1/16 available with other bookies. A KO/TKO win is 1/2 jolly in the method of victory market with Bet365 and that’s deemed more likely than the points cheer which is yours at 12/5 with the same firm. That’s a determined stance, but Smith will know nothing will come for free against an opponent who has carved a career out of upsetting the odds.
Savage a Danger
25-year-old Sam Eggington is a real fans’ favourite as he just doesn’t know how to lie down. Often in his career he has been billed as the opponent or underdog but has spoiled the party with an upset win and we’re sure he’ll continue to do just that between now and the time he calls it a day. The Birmingham fighter has a record of 24 wins against five defeats and that has him ranked fifth in the UK ratings and 42 in the world. Not bad at all for a man who turned pro expecting to be a journeyman, looking to make an extra income.
Eggington’s five defeats came against respected opponents Dale Evans, Johnny Coyle, Bradley Skeete, Mohamed Mimoune and, most recently, Hassan Mwakinyo. The last of them saw the Englishman stopped inside two rounds at the Arena Birmingham last summer in a bout he was expected to win, but he made a quick-fire return to winning ways. Savage dealt with Sam Omidi over four rounds last time, dropping his opponent in the final round before easing to a 40-35 success. There was never a danger of him losing that fight, but it served as a great chance to get back on the bike, boost confidence and blow away the cobwebs.
Does a points win over four rounds against an opponent with a 6-18-3 record serve as good preparation for a fight of this nature? We don’t think so and, despite Sam’s past achievements, this represents a massive leap up in class and in Smith he’ll face an opponent with experience of fighting the likes of Alvarez.
A Big Ask for Sam
That doesn’t come without learning a thing or two along the way and you’ve got to fear for Eggington as he steps into the lion’s den. Yes, he has a reputation of an upsetter and a man who pays no heed to reputation or bookies odds, but this is a big ask. Traders have him written off and that looks shrewd from our point of view.
There’s no reason why Eggington can’t silence the home support with a win, however, and if you prefer to take a punt on a bigger price, you’ll get 11/2 at Bet365 on the away win. Not for us, we prefer Smith to win by KO/TKO at a quote that’ll work in your accumulators.