Frank Warren praised his fighter Liam Williams in the aftermath of his defeat to Demetrius Andrade.
The Welshman was attempting to claim Andrade’s WBO middleweight title, but struggled to get back on top of his opponent after being knocked down early.
Andrade’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, now hopes to set up a clash with Gennady Golovkin down the line with the belt holder, while Warren said he was surprised his fighter did not emerge victorious.
“In defeat, Liam’s stock has not diminished one bit and his warrior-like approach has certainly won him some new fans,” Warren wrote for BoxingScene.com.
“Unfortunately, Liam was always up against it after the first couple of rounds, which included a knockdown, but despite his bravery and being fearless on the front foot, a slick operator like Andrade was never likely to surrender his advantage.
“I hold my hands up, I thought Liam would go one better than his previous attempts at world title level and I believed his firebrand approach would knock the champion out of his cultured stride. Sadly it was not to be.”
Williams intends to continue in the ring, and the Queensberry Promotions chief hopes to get him back in action in future.
“When he has had time to recuperate – and following that fantastic welcome home – we will get Liam back to work and he remains a hugely popular attraction,” he wrote.