West Ham backed for automatic promotion to Premier League by Hammers-supporting boxing stars

WEST HAM have two boxing stars in their corner backing them to knock out their Championship competition. The Hammers start their campaign in the second-tier for the first time in 14 years after relegation last season. George Liddard, Jimmy Sains, Alphonse Areola and Connor Mitchell linked up for a snap Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun Sains and Liddard train together.. and both support West Ham Credit: Instagram @matchroomboxing But East London middleweights George Liddard and Jimmy Sains – in action at the Copper Box this Saturday – tip their beloved West Ham for promotion. Liddard, 24, told DAZN News: “It’s automatic promotion by any means. I’d like us to win the title but we just need to go back up — there’s no dilly-dallying. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! “We have to win consistently and we have to go up. That’s how I see it. Forget the FA Cup, forget the League Cup, we need automatic promotion. “We need to get back to the Prem and hopefully back to the European glory nights we enjoyed not too long ago. “It’s a new season, a new start. Fingers crossed we’ll get back into the Prem.” Liddard faces Dario Morello for the vacant European title while Sains takes on Tom Cowling for the Commonwealth belt. But Sains, 25, will have to put aside the devastation of the Hammers’ relegation. He said: “I was gutted, especially as Tottenham came 17th. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS The Home of Boxing in 2026 There's a massive year of boxing ahead! It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring. The Gypsy King has beaten Mariusz Wach in his second fight of the year to set up a huge fight with Anthony Joshua And AJ did the same, knocking out Kristian Prenga in the second round of a thrilling encounter – the Brit was knocked down twice in the opening round. Now fans are looking forward to Moses Itauma’s return for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August. Here’s all the big fights coming up… August Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN September Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue. “But I think we can regroup. With the squad, the players we’ve kept, I believe we should go straight back up. “I think we’ll have a good season and we’ll be back in the Premier League next year.” Sains might have aspirations to become a boxing world champion – but his 18-year-old brother Bobby plays for Ipswich as a midfielder. The boxer said: “He wasn’t too bad at boxing but he loves football. I don’t let him beat me — he can only beat me at football. “Last time we ran was probably last year on holiday and I beat him every time. He’s a lot bigger now, so I wouldn’t really want to do it again. “He’s getting fitter and stronger, so it could be close now.” Comment now