Tag: liam smith

Liam Smith wasn’t surprised that he defeated Chris Eubank Jr. in their first meeting last January. The Liverpudlian is confident going into every fight.

There was one thing he didn’t expect, though: The ease with which he was able to put Eubank away. Smith put him down twice and stopped him in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder.

And Smith seems to relish the opportunities to remind Eubank of that going into their rematch Saturday at AO Arena in Manchester, England, the site of the original fight.

“You didn’t know what day it was when you got stopped,” he said on a media conference call that included both men, according to Fight Hub TV.

Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) had performed well for three-plus rounds when Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) stunned him with a right hand and followed with several more damaging blows, putting him down and hurting him badly.

He was able to stagger to his feet and continued for a moment but he went down again under a barrage of punches, prompting referee Victor Loughlin to stop the fight.

“I was shocked how easy he falls,” Smith said. “I touched him once and he was like Bambi on ice. I was shocked how much he folded off one right hand, left uppercut, left hook.”

Eubank blamed the loss on complacency. He said that he let his guard down because he believed he was in firm control of the fight until the final moments.

And, of course, he promised to correct his mistake and turn the tables on his rival.

Smith, bursting with confidence, scoffed at that notion. He believes he has Eubank’s number.

“He makes too many mistakes,” Smith said. “… I’ll punish him.”

[lawrence-related id=38728,38723,35234,35226]

Liam Smith wasn’t surprised that he defeated Chris Eubank Jr. in their first meeting last January. The Liverpudlian is confident going into every fight.

There was one thing he didn’t expect, though: The ease with which he was able to put Eubank away. Smith put him down twice and stopped him in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder.

And Smith seems to relish the opportunities to remind Eubank of that going into their rematch Saturday at AO Arena in Manchester, England, the site of the original fight.

“You didn’t know what day it was when you got stopped,” he said on a media conference call that included both men, according to Fight Hub TV.

Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) had performed well for three-plus rounds when Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) stunned him with a right hand and followed with several more damaging blows, putting him down and hurting him badly.

He was able to stagger to his feet and continued for a moment but he went down again under a barrage of punches, prompting referee Victor Loughlin to stop the fight.

“I was shocked how easy he falls,” Smith said. “I touched him once and he was like Bambi on ice. I was shocked how much he folded off one right hand, left uppercut, left hook.”

Eubank blamed the loss on complacency. He said that he let his guard down because he believed he was in firm control of the fight until the final moments.

And, of course, he promised to correct his mistake and turn the tables on his rival.

Smith, bursting with confidence, scoffed at that notion. He believes he has Eubank’s number.

“He makes too many mistakes,” Smith said. “… I’ll punish him.”

[lawrence-related id=38728,38723,35234,35226]

Middleweight contenders Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. will meet in a rematch Saturday after Smith’s UPSET knockout of his rival IN January.

LIAM SMITH (33-3-1, 20 KOS) VS.
CHRIS EUBANK JR. (32-3, 23 KOS)

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
• Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
• TV/Stream: ESPN+
• Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
• At stake: No major titles
• Odds: Smith 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Pound-for-pound: None
• Also on the card: Mikaela Mayer vs. Silvia Bortot Confirmed, junior welterweights; Adam Azim vs. Aram Fanyan, junior welterweights; Mark Heffron vs. Jack Cullen, super middleweights; Frazer Clarke vs. Dave Allen, heavyweights; Florian Marku vs. Dylan Moran, welterweights
• Prediction: Eubank UD
• Background: Smith and Eubank are scheduled to meet for a second time after Smith’s stunning fourth-round knockout of his countryman and fellow contender on Jan. 21 in the same arena. Smith stunned Eubank with a right hand and followed with several more damaging blows, putting him down and hurting him badly. Eubank was able to stagger to his feet and continued for a moment but he went down again under a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to stop the fight. Eubank quickly exercised the rematch clause in their contract. Smith, 35, has demonstrated admirable resilience to remain a contender almost 15 years after he became a professional. His most recent setback came in May 2021, when he lost a close decision to unbeaten 160-pound contender Magomed Kurbanov. He bounced back by delivering one of the better stretches of his career to reestablish himself as a major player, consecutive knockouts of Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas, Hassan Mwakinyo and Eubank. Eubank, 33, had been on an impressive run, six consecutive victories (three by knockout) since losing a decision to George Groves in 2018. The resident of Sussex seemed to be on the verge of realizing his potential. Then came the disaster against Smith, which put Eubank in a precarious position. A second setback against the Liverpudlian could knock him out of the rankings and dash any immediate hopes for a shot at a major title.

[lawrence-related id=35266,35234,35226]

Middleweight contenders Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. will meet in a rematch Saturday after Smith’s UPSET knockout of his rival IN January.

LIAM SMITH (33-3-1, 20 KOS) VS.
CHRIS EUBANK JR. (32-3, 23 KOS)

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
• Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
• TV/Stream: ESPN+
• Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
• At stake: No major titles
• Odds: Smith 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Pound-for-pound: None
• Also on the card: Mikaela Mayer vs. Silvia Bortot Confirmed, junior welterweights; Adam Azim vs. Aram Fanyan, junior welterweights; Mark Heffron vs. Jack Cullen, super middleweights; Frazer Clarke vs. Dave Allen, heavyweights; Florian Marku vs. Dylan Moran, welterweights
• Prediction: Eubank UD
• Background: Smith and Eubank are scheduled to meet for a second time after Smith’s stunning fourth-round knockout of his countryman and fellow contender on Jan. 21 in the same arena. Smith stunned Eubank with a right hand and followed with several more damaging blows, putting him down and hurting him badly. Eubank was able to stagger to his feet and continued for a moment but he went down again under a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to stop the fight. Eubank quickly exercised the rematch clause in their contract. Smith, 35, has demonstrated admirable resilience to remain a contender almost 15 years after he became a professional. His most recent setback came in May 2021, when he lost a close decision to unbeaten 160-pound contender Magomed Kurbanov. He bounced back by delivering one of the better stretches of his career to reestablish himself as a major player, consecutive knockouts of Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas, Hassan Mwakinyo and Eubank. Eubank, 33, had been on an impressive run, six consecutive victories (three by knockout) since losing a decision to George Groves in 2018. The resident of Sussex seemed to be on the verge of realizing his potential. Then came the disaster against Smith, which put Eubank in a precarious position. A second setback against the Liverpudlian could knock him out of the rankings and dash any immediate hopes for a shot at a major title.

[lawrence-related id=35266,35234,35226]

Chris Eubank Jr. insists he knows where he went wrong against Liam Smith in January, when Smith knocked him out in four rounds.

Eubank had a strong Round 3 but a perfect right hand from Smith initiated a barrage of damaging blows that resulted in two knockdowns and one of the most stunning stoppages of the year at AO Arena in Manchester, England, the site of their rematch on Saturday night (ESPN+).

Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) said he let his guard down, figuratively and literally. He promises it won’t happen in his second shot at Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs).

“I think I got complacent,” he said on The Overlap podcast. “I was very comfortable in that ring, probably more so than I usually am in fights in general. I was very comfortable, I was very relaxed.

“He wasn’t catching me with shots. In the third round, I hit him with some great combinations, and I was just fully in control. I guess I went back to the corner after the third round and I was like, ‘This is in the bag, I’ve got this.'”

He went on: “You’ve got to have confidence but as a veteran you can gauge your ability, especially after being in the ring for a few rounds with another man. You know whether it’s going to be a hard night or whether you’ve got it.

“After that third round, I was like, ‘I’ve got this, this is where I’m going to start taking off.'”

Unfortunately for Eubank, it was Smith who took off.

“That relaxed attitude – ‘Oh, there’s no danger in front of me’ – caused me to let my guard down for a split second, literally,” he said. “My opponent capitalized on that split second mistake and now we’re here, about to settle the score in a rematch.”

He added: “When I got out of that ring it wasn’t depression or upset, it was annoyance. I was [thinking], ‘How can I let this happen, I know I can beat this guy.’ So it was a different type of sting.

“But that’s boxing. You’ve got to take your licks when they’re there and have the ability to come back stronger, tougher, more resilient, improved. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.”

[lawrence-related id=38717,35234,35226]

Chris Eubank Jr. insists he knows where he went wrong against Liam Smith in January, when Smith knocked him out in four rounds.

Eubank had a strong Round 3 but a perfect right hand from Smith initiated a barrage of damaging blows that resulted in two knockdowns and one of the most stunning stoppages of the year at AO Arena in Manchester, England, the site of their rematch on Saturday night (ESPN+).

Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) said he let his guard down, figuratively and literally. He promises it won’t happen in his second shot at Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs).

“I think I got complacent,” he said on The Overlap podcast. “I was very comfortable in that ring, probably more so than I usually am in fights in general. I was very comfortable, I was very relaxed.

“He wasn’t catching me with shots. In the third round, I hit him with some great combinations, and I was just fully in control. I guess I went back to the corner after the third round and I was like, ‘This is in the bag, I’ve got this.'”

He went on: “You’ve got to have confidence but as a veteran you can gauge your ability, especially after being in the ring for a few rounds with another man. You know whether it’s going to be a hard night or whether you’ve got it.

“After that third round, I was like, ‘I’ve got this, this is where I’m going to start taking off.'”

Unfortunately for Eubank, it was Smith who took off.

“That relaxed attitude – ‘Oh, there’s no danger in front of me’ – caused me to let my guard down for a split second, literally,” he said. “My opponent capitalized on that split second mistake and now we’re here, about to settle the score in a rematch.”

He added: “When I got out of that ring it wasn’t depression or upset, it was annoyance. I was [thinking], ‘How can I let this happen, I know I can beat this guy.’ So it was a different type of sting.

“But that’s boxing. You’ve got to take your licks when they’re there and have the ability to come back stronger, tougher, more resilient, improved. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.”

[lawrence-related id=38717,35234,35226]