James Metcalf Positioned for Liam Smith Showdown
In boxing, a fighter can revive their career with one big win. Junior middleweight James “Kid Shamrock” Metcalf’s (23-2, 14KO) upset victory has paid off with a top ranking as he hunts for a title shot.
A CAREER-SAVING VICTORY
Kid Shamrock’s rise in boxing got off to an incredible start, in the beginning. In 2018, he managed to win the Commonwealth title and followed up by grabbing the WBC Continental title in 2019.
Despite winning a regional and minor title, Kid Shamrock was still unknown in the division and in the boxing community. In 2021, his career took a hard hit after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of IBF #11 Ted Cheeseman and losing a close decision to WBA #11 Keiron Conway.
With his career on life support, Metcalf traveled into the hostile territory of Spain and defeated good friend Kerman Lejarraga for the WBA Continental minor title. That victory has paid off as he received a high ranking of #5 by the WBA, putting the 34-year-old in a range of a title eliminator.
WHAT IS NEXT?
Now is the time to take advantage of this situation, and a fight against former WBO champion Liam Smith could be next. Smith ranks #2 WBO, #3 WBC, and #4 WBA. Metcalf v Smith would be an excellent match-up between two fighters from Liverpool, United Kingdom.
The financial benefits would also be satisfying for both men. Fans would pack the arena to see the two elder statesmen in such a big fight with WBA title implications.
By: Garrisson Bland
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