Now it’s official! January 21st Manchester Arena in Manchester (Great Britain) an intriguing fight in the middleweight limit between popular local fighters will take place – ex-champion Liam Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) will fight with ex-challenger Chris Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23 KOs).
Show promoter – company boxer Benjamin Shalom (supported by Wasserman Boxing Calle Sauerland). The event will be broadcast live Sky Sports channel.
Smith became the WBO light middleweight champion in 2015. After a couple of intermediate defenses, he lost the belt to superstar Canelo Alvarez. In 2018, he unsuccessfully tried to take the same title from Jaime Munguia. Smith is on a streak of three wins in a row – Anthony Fowler, Jesse Vargas and Hassan Mwakinho have been suspended.
Eubank is an ex-interim WBA middleweight champion, as well as the owner of a not the most prestigious IBO belt in the division above. Participated in World Boxing Super Series, but lost to WBA champion George Groves in the semi-finals. In 2022, he beat Liam Williams, was supposed to box in catchweight with Conor Benn, but he got caught doping and disrupted the event.
Smith believes that “Eubank miscalculated by agreeing to this fight. It has been proven that every time he hits a top opponent, he loses. The same will happen in our head-to-head fight.”
Eubank disagrees: “Yeah, he’s met tough fighters. But were they my level? Absolutely not. He is a good fighter, but not great. And the good ones beat the good ones 99 times out of 100.”
Previously, Eubank was on the list from promoter Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) is Canelo’s “plan B”. In October, he offered to pay for the removal of a tattoo from the belly of an unfortunate Benn fan: photo.