Liam Smith has questioned Jessie Vargas’ wishes ahead of their fight on April 30.
The super-heavyweight clash served as a main support match that looked great before Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano took center stage for the Matchroom main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
A fight between the two 154lb competitors had been brewing for a few years and Smith had grown impatient as he waited for the duel to come to fruition.
Smith told Matchroom Boxing: “I know Jessie as a nice guy.
“Probably because things got messed up. I boxed Sam Eggington in March 2019 and Eddie [Hearn] mentioned that fight to me in the ring and I thought, it’s a fight that I want. He fought Mikey Garcia two years ago, he could have easily fought me for those two years. I finished the quest because it was a fight I wanted. “
Vargas, a former 140lbs and 147lbs world champion, is balancing his boxing career with a move into politics, which will see the 32-year-old run for Congress in the summer this.
“You have to question whether Jessie wants to be here,” said the former WBO champion.
“He’s running for Congress, he hasn’t boxed in two years, he has only one battle left on his contract with Eddie and Matchroom. I think this is his last little hurdle? Is this his goodbye, his last payday, and his way into politics?
“In the end, I thought I would be too big, too strong for Jessie. I’m a 154-year-old, I’ve been my whole career. Jessie is going from light welder to welder to super welder. I think it will benefit me. It’s a match if I show up 100%, I know I’m going to win and win well.”
