Joe McNally wants Liam Smith’s fight against Josh Kelly to be his last – but expects Smith to seek a third fight against Chris Eubank Jnr if he wins.

Smith and Kelly will fight at Wembley Stadium on September 21 as the support act for the IBF heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and champion Daniel Dubois.

At the age of 36, a loss to Kelly could mean the end of Smith’s great career, just three fights after he recorded his biggest win to date by stopping Eubank Jr.

Eight months later, in September 2023 – just over a year before his return to the ring against Kelly – he was stopped in the rematch when he suffered a one-sided loss due to a back injury.

Given the nature of that loss and his age, it remains possible that Smith does not have much to lose when he steps into the ring against the talented Kelly, who is 30 years old and fighting for the first time as a middleweight.

McNally – the coach under whom he revived his career with a win over Anthony Fowler in 2021 – acknowledges that this remains a risk, but instead believes Kelly has made a mistake by pursuing Smith in what he believes is a calculated manner and to the extent that he already has expectations about what Smith’s next move might be.

“I would love it,” McNally told BoxingScene when asked if the next fight could be Smith’s last. “He’s done his due. But I know the Eubank fight is really hurting him and I think if he beats Josh Kelly impressively and stays injury free, he’ll love this trilogy and it’s only fair to do that for him, isn’t it?”

“The first one wasn’t a fluke. He dismantled him – and the second one he got screwed over. That’s only fair. The audience asked for it. But the promoters and Chris himself – they don’t want anything to do with it. As soon as he did the first job on him, it was ‘revenge, revenge, revenge.’ Liam didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to do it, but he did it, so I think it’s only right that they give him a trilogy.

“I wanted him to pull out of the Eubank fight – he wasn’t ready. His injury was too bad and the money they gave him – that’s prizeboxing. You’re fighting for your future, for your family. That’s the bottom line – to be a champion and be financially secure. So what does he say when they offer that much money? Hindsight is always 20/20. I wanted him to pull out because I knew Chris had nowhere to go. (Promoter and broadcaster) Boxxer and Sky: ‘The fight will go on; the fight will go on.’ It wasn’t going anywhere. He could have fought Chris now. Chris is doing nothing. When it comes to the names, Chris over-prices everything himself. That’s a shame because he’s a fantastic fighter.

“If I didn’t have the passion to prepare for the fight and if I didn’t have the money, I wouldn’t have anything to do with it. But he trains like a madman and that’s all I can ask for.”

McNally, who also trains James Metcalfe, sees the decision by Kelly and his trainer Adam Booth to prioritize the fight against Smith despite previously targeting Metcalfe as reflecting the perception that Eubank Jr. was proof that Smith was on the decline.

He has also questioned how well suited Kelly is to fight in the 160-pound division, believes Booth – who has stressed that he does not underestimate the threat Smith poses – and Kelly are overconfident and expects Smith to prove them wrong.

“Adam Booth suggested James Metcalfe to fight Josh Kelly and James accepted,” McNally continued. “After his last win against a pompous lightweight (Placido Ramirez), they publicly challenged James Metcalfe to fight him. Josh Kelly withdrew – not to fight James Metcalfe.

“Liam was still recovering from his injury from the Eubank fight when a member of the team called him and asked, ‘Will you fight Josh Kelly in five weeks – name your price?’ We knew then that was what they wanted. Liam has been working hard in the gym for it; the season in Riyadh has come, they are paying him the salary and Liam came 13 weeks before and said, ‘I’m fighting Josh Kelly.’ He was a bit heavy – heavy – but we have a lot of time to prepare for it. That’s what James Metcalfe missed out on in his career – earning his money – but now Liam Smith has decided to do it. Of course they want his name on the record and Liam is fully prepared. Let’s see if Josh can step up.

“The Eubank fight (led to them favouring Smith over Metcalfe) – Anthony Fowler was maneuvered into the same contest by the McGuigans. They pushed for it. It was a big mistake. Liam is massively underrated. His back is still fine and he works really hard. (Kelly had previously) come and did a bit of sparring with Liam in the gym but it was like night and day; firstly he chose to stand next to Liam which was very good for Liam and secondly he was running around the ring.

“I don’t think it’s wise to stand by Liam, but he could fancy himself a chance. But if they’re based on sparring, on the Eubank II fight… If Liam Smith is in, he’s in – and he’s in. If he goes into this fight injury-free, I expect him to cut through it like a knife through butter.

“I know what Liam Smith is, inside and out. The only time I went into a fight against Liam Smith not confident was when he was fucked up and hurt – Eubank II. I went in with the only mindset to protect him from injury, not to win. If that’s true, Liam Smith is a small miracle; you don’t see the little things until it’s too late. Josh is stylistically made for Liam. I don’t think he’s a solid 12-round fighter. He looked good against Troy Williamson, but Troy is a solid, solid British-European level fighter. I just think it comes at the wrong time for Josh Kelly.

“That wasn’t Liam in there (against Eubank). But you can only go by his last fight. That’s the reality of the sport. You’re as good as your last fight. Josh was awesome, against a pompous lightweight, and Liam was shit when he got beat up by Chris Eubank. Back fucked up, and it took Chris 10 rounds to get him out of there. I just don’t think Josh Kelly hits hard enough, and the truth is he’s very athletic – I don’t think his IQ is good enough to keep Liam at bay for 12 rounds. No chance.

“Liam had moved up for two fights, and Liam wasn’t the biggest himself at 154 pounds. I don’t think Josh is either. But we had to build Liam up over a 15, 16-month period to get him to his size. They suggested 154 pounds, but we built him up and said, ‘No – he’s 160 pounds now.’ They caved. You have to be super confident. ‘Okay, 160 pounds is it.’ His biggest advantage is speed; does the extra 50 grams take that away from you over 12 rounds? Maybe.”

Declan Warrington previously spoke to Kelly’s trainer Adam Booth