Liam Smith v Chris Eubank Jr

[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

[TIC]

apparently there's a rematch clause if jr loses

[Master]

apparently there's a rematch clause if jr loses

Smith seems to be taking a lot from the fact that Eubank wants a rematch clause, no undue weight to be met, and not saying he can come in 50%. It will be a tougher fight for Eubank but he should win especially if he wants to face Golovkin.

[Master]

Smith: Eubank couldn't lace Canelo's boots | 'I won't miss Xmas dinner for him!'

Chris Eubank Jr won't miss Christmas dinner, despite his preparations for a fight against Liam Smith, who says his British rival is nowhere near the class of Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.

The middleweight duo are braced for a defining night in their careers in Manchester on January 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office when they meet in a fight that could make or break reputations and ambitions.

Eubank Jr has mirrored the approach taken to his cancelled fight with Conor Benn in suggesting a less-than-100 per cent version of himself will be good enough on the night; Smith, for his part, is confident he can make light work of anything other than a prime opponent.

Smith believes his superior boxing ability will be the key to victory against Eubank Jr and suggests he will draw on the lessons of his ninth-round stoppage loss to former pound-for-pound No 1 Canelo in 2016.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith fight confirmedSmith vows to expose Eubank Jr 'vulnerabilities'

"I feel like that's played a big part in my career," 'Beefy' told Sky Sports News. "Chris is looking at that like 'you've been down, you've been stopped', I said to him face to face: 'Yeah I got stopped with a body shot off the best fighter in the world, the No 1 fighter in the world at that time'.

"You're no Canelo Alvarez. Chris Eubank couldn't lace Canelo's boots, so I'm confident the Canelo fight taught me a lot as a man in my pro career.

"Again, Chris Eubank is no Canelo Alvarez and what I learnt in that fight will be enough to beat Chris."

The tone of the build-up is expected to reflect that of the fight itself: neither man backing down, with Eubank Jr embracing his 'bad guy' image while attempting to unsettle Smith.

"I'm a little bit clever, he's not going to eat me away with words, I'm just correcting him every time he says something that doesn't make sense," Smith added. "He feels that's getting under my skin, it's not. It's far from it.

"If I was to go for him or throw something - something out of character - then he's got under my skin.

"I said to him before: 'you feel you've got under my skin, I'm just telling you what I'd tell any opponent sitting across the table to me - you will not beat me at 50 per cent'.

"I don't think Chris Eubank at 100 per cent beats me, so 50 per cent? Good luck to you, because I'll wipe the floor with you."

Eubank Jr: I would beat Smith with a bad arm!

Eubank Jr joked he has a "100 per cent win ratio" in press conferences throughout his career, and the 33-year-old is known for his tendency to prod and poke opponents in a light-hearted search of a mental edge during the build-up to fights.

He has been bullish in suggesting he fights at a level above to Smith, downplaying his opponent's ability to surprise him come fight night.

"I learnt that even at this age I have still got it," Eubank Jr told Sky Sports News. "I have a jab, I have foot movement, I have great defensive ability. That's what I'll do against Liam Smith in January.

"Liam Smith is very predictable, he is very ABC, 123 type fighter. There nothing he is going to do that is going to surprise me. There's no tricks up his sleeve.

"I can box, I can brawl, I can run, defend, attack. I have all the options. He uses the same tactic each time and I will exploit that.

"I have told him that I need to be 50 per cent to beat him, that's in my humble opinion. If I had a bad foot, a bad leg and a bad arm I would deal with him. He has to prove me wrong. He says he's going to knock me out, but I hear that narrative each time I get into the ring. It never happens. Maybe it'll be different, but I doubt it."

Having suggested earlier this week he planned on eating fried chicken over the next eight weeks ahead of the fight, Eubank Jr insisted he has no plans to miss out on his Christmas dinner either amid the typical nutritional requirements of a training camp.

"Christmas Day, Boxing Day, birthdays, Easter, New Years - Chris Eubank Jr is in the gym. We sacrifice what's needed to perform under the big lights at the highest levels.

"Christmas Day I will be in the gym. I make weight responsibly. I make weight well. I have my turkey and sausages with bacon wrapped around. I am not going to sacrifice my Christmas dinner, not for Liam Smith."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...23a074db73e884