Boxing

“Beefy” Smith TKOs Eubank Jr to End the Beef…. But There’s More!  

By Liam MatthewsNo Comments7 Mins Read
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith Banner RDX Sports

Normally, dropping your opponent twice to end the bout via a technical knockout (TKO) is a convincing win. In fact, the very same happened in Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith match last Saturday in an all-British Showdown. Liam Smith blasted Chris Eubank twice on the canvas and ended the fight with a stunning victory in four rounds at Manchester Arena.

But many believe there’s a twist to this tale! We’ll surely get you to the twisty bit in a while, but how about first going through Liam Smith’s remarkable victory and the first knockout defeat of Eubank Jr illustrious career? Here’s how Eubank got it.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith Clash

Liam Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chris Eubank Jr. (32-3-0, 23 KOs) in the fourth round Saturday night at Manchester Arena. The bout, agreed to 12 rounds at middleweight, was hotly contested. But Liverpool pugilist prevailed with a successful combination and sent the Sussex boxer to the mat. He announced that he would finish it by KO and kept his promise.

Liam Smith’s Iconic Ringwalk

Liam Smith came out strong from the start of the match, seeking the center of the ring and closing the gap. His iconic ringwalk enthralled an action-hungry audience at the AO Arena.

The Battle

He put pressure on Eubank from the word go and landed good shots. But Eubank dodged well and controlled the distance with his jabs, moving quickly with great quality in his shots.

The Sussex man tightened up in the third round and dominated the exchange. He frequently threw the left jab, which landed in Smith’s face.

The Liverpool boxer turned things around in the fourth round. He pulled out all the stops and surprised Eubank with a hard-faced combination that sent him straight to the canvas. He managed to get up but quickly fell back.

It began with a spectacular uppercut, but Smith didn’t let up afterward, continuing to pummel his opponent until the fight was over.

The Show of Respect After the Battle

Liam Smith, the former middleweight champion, who won the WBO belt in 2015 and lost it a year later to Canelo Álvarez, finished off a confident Chris Eubank Jr. He promised he would knock him out, and he delivered.

The Sussex man praised Smith and assumed he caught him with “a good shot.”

Once-in-a-lifetime Shot

While Eubank Jr showed great sportsmanship in congratulating his opponent right then and there, he believes Liam caught him with a lucky shot.

In fact, a bit more than a lucky shot … once-in-a-lifetime-shot!

“He caught me with a once-in-a-lifetime shot. I feel like I was dominating the fight before that happened. Liam came at me again and threw a bunch more punches.

“I slipped, and then the referee stopped it,”

Eubank Jr. told Sky Sports.

He added:

“I was dominating the fight, and then I got caught. In my mind, I’m still the better fighter.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t have much of an argument after a loss, but I have an argument to prove I’m the better fighter.”

“I felt like I could have kept going, but the referee is in charge. I respect his decision. We’ll get it on again soon.”

How Once-in-a-lifetime Shot Looks Like!

On a philosophical level, even if we agree with Chris Eubank’s once-in-a-lifetime shot theory, here is its physical demonstration right after the fight.

How the World Reacts to Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith 4th Round TKO!

The fact is that most people were expecting a tough competition between the two of the best British boxing has to offer. But the way the showdown ended, so many were caught off-guard, not Smith himself, though.

 “I don’t know if it was one shot or an accumulation, but I told you all week,”

Smith said.

“A lot got made of Chris’ great chin, I’ve got a great chin, but there’s many fighters with better chins who have been knocked out in the past.

“I told you all week, don’t be surprised. Nobody can not be hurt.”

Eubank Jr, sporting a brutal welt the size of a golf ball under his right eye, then jumped on the mic to issue a classy response of his own and floated the idea of a rematch.

“Big congratulations to him. He caught me with a great shot,”

Eubank Jr said.

“The build-up was the build-up. It got a bit ugly at the end. I regretted that.

“I respect you. I respect your family, I always have.

“If the fans want to see a rematch, we can get it on at Anfield. Big respect, man.”

Eubank Senior took his son’s defeat as elegantly as it gets:

There are several other notable reactions from people around the world to Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith.

Last but not least, Conor Benn also taunts Chris Eubank Jr on his TKO loss. Conor Benn was due to fight Chris Eubank Jr in October. But the fight was called off when Benn failed two voluntary drug tests.

Smith vs Eubank Jr Rematch

Both men have expressed interest in fighting at Anfield, home of Liverpool FC if a rematch occurs. It is thought that Eubank Jr might be compromised by going down to middleweight, whereas Smith had much more success at super-welterweight and appears undersized at 160lb.

On being asked about the potential rematch with Eubank, Smith responded:

“I think he’s probably going to have to think about it and have to talk about it right away.

“It’s kind of an ego and a pride thing. He’s not going to say, ‘Well, I don’t want that rematch, I’ve just been knocked out’.

“But we might get a different answer when he’s sat and thought about it and watched it back. He’ll sit down with his team and his family, and he’ll decide if he wants that rematch.

“If he wants that rematch, I’ll give it to him. I beat him once, so I’ll beat him twice.”

On the other hand, Kalle Sauerland, Eubank’s promoter, has announced that they will wait a few weeks before deciding if Chris Eubank Jr will activate his right to a rematch with Liam Smith.

“We obviously have that rematch clause, but we’ll let the dust settle,”

Kalle Sauerland said to Sky Sports about whether Chris Eubank Jr will take the rematch with Liam Smith or not.

“We’ve got a few weeks to activate that. We’ll take an internal discussion, see what the best way forward is for Jr and go from there.

“For sure, that score obviously needs to be settled, but take nothing away from Beefy, it was a fantastic victory for him, and congratulations to him and the whole Smith family,” said Sauerland.

Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr Elbow Controversy

Some boxing fans believe that Liam Smith knocked out Chris Eubank Jr with an ‘illegal elbow’ to conclude their bout on Saturday night.

Twitter account @BoxingKingdom14 shows a pause of the fight, claiming Smith’s left elbow may have made contact with Eubank Jr’s head, causing the fight-winning knockout.

Then, a couple of videos are circulating on social media as well, indicating and speculating that Smith’s hits weren’t clean. For instance, this one on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DeanParkerGXT/status/1617002747928391680

And this one is gaining traction on YouTube:

With the rumor mill in action, rival promoter Hearn told iFL TV that Eubank Jr is ‘completely lost in his boxing.’

He said:

“Technically, Eubank has never been great, but what he’s always had is a fearless mentality, a great chin and a great engine.

“What he’s done with Roy Jones Jr is completely take those assets away.”

These remarks seemingly angered Jones Jr., who went public on Instagram to express his emotions:

Eubank jr vs Liam Smith Full Card Results

Co-Feature: Richard Riakporhe vs Krzysztof Glowacki

Details: 12-Round Cruiserweight Contest

Verdict: Riakporhe wins by Stoppage in Round 4

Undercard: Ekow Essuman vs Chris Kongo

Details: 12-Round Welterweight Contest

Verdict: Essuman wins by Majority Decision

Undercard: Joseph Parker vs Jack Massey

Details: 10-Round Heavyweight Contest

Verdict: Parker wins by Unanimous Decision

Other Undercard Results:

  • Frazer Clarke defeated Kevin Espindola by fourth-round stoppage
  • Matty Harris defeated Jiri Surmaj by first-round stoppage
  • Scott Forrest defeated Amine Boucetta by decision
  • Frankie Stringer defeated Cristian Narvaez by decision

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