By Owen Morgan

The next time Liam Williams climbs into the ring it will be to fight for the WBO Middleweight title.

That was the promise given by his promoter Frank Warren after the British Middleweight champion stopped the challenge of Andrew Robinson following just 88 seconds of their title fight on Saturday.

Minutes after the spectacular stoppage in London, Warren confirmed negotiations were about to begin to set up a fight between mandatory challenger Williams and WBO champion Demetrius Andrade.

Warren said: “The WBO has said we have a short period to negotiate with Andrade’s people. If we can’t agree terms then we go to purse bids. It will happen.

“The WBO will not allow him (Williams) to have more fights in between, and the same for Andrade, so that’s where we are at.

“This week, we will be working on making that happen. So he won’t be fighting until he fights Andrade, unless Andrade vacates, then he fights for the vacant title.”

Williams had hoped to be challenging Andrade on Saturday night, but was instead defending his British title against Redditch fighter Robinson.

And the Welshman certainly took his frustrations out on his unfortunate opponent with an unstoppable onslaught following an early clash of heads as Williams went on the attack from the bell.

The champion literally saw red as the accidental clash opened up a nasty cut above the challenger’s left eye, but more significantly drew blood from a gash on his own scalp.

https://twitter.com/BTSportBoxing/status/1315201469772161024

Realising there was blood pouring from his head, Williams launched a furious attack on Robinson, which saw him land a flurry of punches including a couple of stinging rights.

With the challenger backed into a corner, Williams went in for the kill and delivered it with a vicious left hook to Robinson’s ribs which saw him crumple to his knees.

Looking dazed by the ferocity of Williams’ offensive and the head clash, Robinson eventually climbed to his feet, but not before referee Marcus O’Donnell counted him out.

“To be honest with you I wanted to leave it go a little bit further, just to get a couple of rounds, get my range, look good and let some shots go, but obviously we clashed heads and I saw the blood dripping from my head,” said Williams after his seventh straight stoppage.

” I thought it was a bad cut so I just thought ‘I need to end this now before it goes to a technical draw or whatever’. So I just thought ‘get him out of there and get home’.”

Of his possible clash with Andrade, Williams said: “I’m mandatory challenger for the WBO middleweight title to fight Demetrius Andrade so it’s a case of when and where, give me the date, give me the place and I’ll be there.”

Williams, who hadn’t fought since his demolition of American Atlantez Fox, was asked whether he was frustrated by the wait for a shot at a middleweight world title.

The Clydach Vale man, who trains during the week in Sheffield under Dominic Ingle, said: “Yes and no. I would have liked it to be this outing really.

” But I’m ticking over, I’m staying in the gym and I’m still learning, believe it or not. I’m still learning all the time under Dom. We’ve been together two years. It’s all good, I’m only going to be better when the time comes.”

Ingle paid tribute to his fighter’s dedication and patience : “He’s becoming a consummate pro now, he’s in Sheffield Monday to Friday, he goes home at the weekend.

“When the lockdown was on real heavy, he was training from home, doing the work outs and as soon as the lockdown was lifted he was back in at full force and he never went really far from the mark.

“From his fight in December,  he never really went up in weight, he never really lost fitness, he kept motivated because he can see the light at the end of the tunnel, he knows the world title chance is there and he’s not going to let it slip.

“I say to him, keep on it, keep focussing and he’s doing that tonight. That was a 12-week camp and it lasted two minutes. You could see how dangerous he was.

“Andrew Robinson is a tough kid, he’s more durable than that, he goes longer, but Liam was straight out there; crash, bang wallop and it’s all over and that’s testimony to his training.”

Warren, who will celebrate 40 years in the fight game later this year, believes his man will take the world title when the time comes.

“He’s a monster at this weight, no doubt about it,” said Warren. “It’s not like he hasn’t been there, he fought two fights for the world title at light middleweight and it seems to me that the change of trainer and going up in weight, he’s a different fighter altogether.

“He’s just looking so intense, so powerful, so destructive I genuinely feel he will beat Andrade. He will give Andrade the toughest fight he has had.”

Williams, wearing a t-shirt bearing the words “Rest In Peace Carl”, said after the fight: “I just want to take this chance to pay my respects to my good friend Carl Jones who passed away a couple of weeks ago.

” And a fella called George Huntley who’s a father and a grandfather of some very good friends of mine, so I just want to show my respect for them.”