Liam Smith v Chris Eubank Jr

[Master]

PPV? This is becoming like the USA. This fight is a domestic at best.

[Primo Carnera]

PPV? This is becoming like the USA. This fight is a domestic at best.

Obviously I’ve been banging on about that for ages. What I will say however, is that this is way more worthy of PPV than Eubank/Conor Benn was.
Liam Smith in his defence has at least been a World Champion and has shared the ring with some top class opponents .

[Master]

PPV? This is becoming like the USA. This fight is a domestic at best.

Obviously I’ve been banging on about that for ages. What I will say however, is that this is way more worthy of PPV than Eubank/Conor Benn was.
Liam Smith in his defence has at least been a World Champion and has shared the ring with some top class opponents .

True but it was a minor world title at the weight below. When he did meet a top-class fighter he was stopped.

Eubank was also outclassed.

I do not know why Sky can justify ppv when Yarde v Beterbiev is not.

[Master]

Chris Eubank Jr will fight Liam Smith in an all-British middleweight contest at Manchester Arena on 21 January.

Eubank Jr had been set to fight Conor Benn last month, but that bout was cancelled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance.

Liverpool's Smith, a former world champion at light-middleweight, says Eubank Jr is "making a big mistake".

"Every time he has stepped up to elite level, he has failed. I know I am on that level," said the 34-year-old.

"If he was at 60% for the fight that never was against Conor Benn, then he'll need to be at 160% to be ready to face me."

Both men are on impressive win streaks, with Eubank Jr on a six-fight unbeaten run and Smith undefeated in three bouts after stopping Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas and Hassan Mwakinyo.

Eubank Jr, whose last defeat was inflicted by then world champion George Groves at super-middleweight in 2018, insists Smith is not on his level.

"Has he been in there with some good fighters? Yes. Are they on my level? No," said the 33-year-old.

"He's a competent fighter, but class beats competence every day of the week.

"It's a good opportunity for me to show I'm twice the fighter that he is as well as those he has faced."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/63755610

[Master]

"I'm excited about it," Smith told Sky Sports. "I know it can't be anything other than a good fight and it's one that I'm massively confident in.

"I just think I beat Chris Eubank Jr, it'll cement me as a big name in British boxing. I'm massively confident of doing that."

"Style-wise, he's at his best when he's having a fight with people and he's trying to show his fitness and he's got a good chin. He's at his best in that sense and I feel I'm at my best in that sense also, when I'm coming to have a fight with somebody and trying to walk or break somebody down," Smith said.

"The emphasis is going to be on Chris trying to box the way Roy's got him boxing. I feel like I capitalise on that all day," Smith continued. "[Then] he can only revert to what he likes and what he knows and that's to come and have a fight.

"I think the fight can only revert to that and then once it reverts to that, it's going to catch fire and I'll welcome it with open arms."

Smith believes regardless of whether Eubank fights on the front foot or the back foot, he will punish him.

"I rate him to a certain extent but I know he's going to be a tough fight for anybody because of the stuff he brings. He's a good athlete, he's strong, he's fit. I feel he's got loads of vulnerabilities to his game that I can capitalise on," he said.

"With 10 ounce gloves on, I land the right shot on anyone's chin, I'm confident I can hurt anybody. Chris Eubank Jr's no different. He's got a good chin but anybody can be knocked out."

Victory in this fight would be one of the biggest moments in Smith's career, for professional as much as personal reasons.

"As a person he's not really my cup of tea, from what he shows me," Smith said. "As soon as our names started getting linked, I was vocal on it. I thought fire away, if I get offered that fight I'll take it.

"There's nothing better than a domestic rivalry and a domestic dust up. When you get two big names, there's nothing better than the build-up towards it.

"This is a massive fight for me and it's going to be a massive fight in British boxing."

Rather than fighting at a catchweight, Smith is moving up from super-welter to middleweight for this bout.

That concession should favour Eubank, the larger man. But Smith sees an admission of weakness there.

"I would have liked it to be 159, 158lbs. But you've seen the big stink with the 157lb thing with Conor Benn [for the fight that fell through] and I knew I was never going to get him that low," Smith said.

"But I also know that with the fear and doubtful side on their part also they're not going to fight me at 157 or 158lbs, they won't even fight me at 159lbs. They know they're in a fight. They know their weakness in the fight also. So they're not going to give me any advantage because they know they're in a fight this time.

"I do think he respects me," he added. "He'd be stupid not to.

"I've taken this on my terms, when I'm ready and I will be ready for January 21."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...f57d80d9b9b1cb

[Spicoli]

You see now that’s actually a realistic decent fight. But another needless ppv anchor attached to it which makes no sense.

[Master]

As soon as Chris Eubank Jr arrived for his first press conference with Liam Smith, the star from Brighton began the mind games.

He declared he could prepare for the former world champion on a diet of fast food, that he only needed to be firing on 50 per cent to win and that he would look to finish Smith inside the distance.

Such comments do not sit easily with a proud fighter like Smith.

"That's just him being him," the Liverpudlian fired back. "You come in at 50 per cent, please do.

"What are you paying Roy Jones [his trainer] for then?

"Why put a rematch clause in?

"I know his whole team know this is a lot tougher fight for him which is why this rematch clause got put in place," Smith continued. "He doesn't make the weight as great as he makes out.

"He holds a good shot. His chin will get tested and his body will get tested too," Smith added, but insisted, "I can knock anyone out, especially with 10 ounce gloves on."

Goading a rival is a role that Eubank Jr is happy to play.

"The bad guy is back," he declared. "He never cheats, he never lies, he never cuts any corners but he's still the bad guy. Isn't that incredible?

"I think this is going to be the funnest [sic] fight I've had for quite some time. The styles are going to gel excellently. It can't be a boring fight."

It's a bout which he maintains he will win in spectacular style. I know what Liam is. There's nothing he's going to be able to do that is going to confuse me or I'm not going to see coming," Eubank claimed. "[It's] one that I'm going to be able to win with a fair amount of ease.

"With you as soon as there's an opening, you're going to be on the canvas," he said speaking to Smith directly. "You know how to give up.

"You know how to take a knee and look at your corner.

"You know how to lay down like the old dog that you are."

Smith responded, "That's a lie.

"Every time you've stepped up to someone with good fundamentals you've lost.

"He's not turning up 50%," Smith added. "He turns up at 50 per cent I'll wipe the floor with him."

Eubank Jr is the son of British boxing legend Chris Eubank and Smith told him, "You got a leg up because of your name."

Eubank replied quickly, "It's obscene for you to talk like that.

"This is not about names, it's not about leg ups," he continued. "I've dealt with this for so long, it's not even something I think about or care about.

"Whether I get my credit or not at this stage now it's irrelevant.

"Whether they like me or whether they don't like me, I want to be in big fights … and win.

"The final message will be on the night when I'm standing over him with my hand raised."

Unimpressed, Smith wished him "good luck" with that.

Expressionless Eubank replied, "Thank you."

For Smith a defeat would spell the end of his career at the top level. But he believes that is also the case for Eubank Jr. He said: "If I lose to Chris Eubank, all being said I've got no aspirations of being world champion again. I'm carrying on boxing because I want to be world champion again and be in big fights and it's all led to this.

"I know if I turn up 100 per cent I'm massively confident of beating Chris, that's why I haven't jumped at it for the six week notice. I've taken it on my terms and in January I'll be ready.

"The pressure is on both. The pressure is on Chris because he's the middleweight, the name, the A-side, but I'll accept that. There's pressure on me because of the stage we are at in my career. Chris is 33, I've just turned 34, there's not much in it in that sense, we'll see in January.

"Whoever loses that fight, the world title fights are done."

Eubank Jr believes Smith is rattled. He said: "I always enjoy the events. I like being able to interact with my opponent before the fight, get his vibe, see what type of personality he is.

"I think he's an emotional guy. I think he's easy to rattle. I'm very calm, you can't say anything to me that upsets me.

"Liam, he's ready to go as soon as you say anything he doesn't agree with or doesn't like. And I like that, and I'm going to use that against him on the night.

"I just talked, I just said the things which I thought were true. If that got under his skin, then so be it.

"The fact that I don't remember anything from [sparring] him means that he was just another body, just another piece of meat that I was in there to tenderise for a couple of days, and sauté and the leave - that's what happened."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...73e31b0569c182