Chris Eubank Jr delivered last night and pulled out one of the best performances of his career in a rematch with Liverpudlian Liam Smith from their fight earlier this year. After their fight in January, not many had given Eubank a chance in the rematch.
Chris Eubank Jr. Comes Back with a Vengeance to Defeat Rival Liam Smith
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) September 2, 2023
Ultimately the rematch would not go the same way, as Smith appeared to move sluggishly throughout the contest. Whether that was due to an injury or simple under preparation, remains to be seen. However, he was unable to utilize the movement and speed that he had used to both land shots on Eubank Jr. and avoid the ones coming back at him. The rematch almost exactly mirrored the first fight as Eubank Jr. dropped Smith in the 4th round with a heavy uppercut but was unable to get the finish. Continuing his dominance in the later rounds, Eubank Jr. would win the fight in the 10th, teeing off on Smith who was leaning on the ropes before the referee stepped in to wave off the contest.
New Face in the Corner for Eubank
Eubank’s drastically different performances in the two fights have been credited to changing training camps in the lead up to the rematch. Leaving his hometown of Brighton, Eubank Jr. relocated to Las Vegas where he linked up with Brian “Bo” McIntyre, the world renowned trainer who has taken Terence Crawford to the pinnacle of the sport. Indeed, Eubank looked like a different beast entirely under McIntyre and has impressed all of the boxing world. “Next Gen” picked up a dominant win and looked better than ever when many speculated that a retirement was not too far around the corner.
What is Next
After a performance of such caliber, Eubank Jr. will have several options as to what his next move will be. Of course, last year the Conor Benn fight was hugely popular; however, with the ongoing mess that is the Conor Benn situation, the time for that fight feels like it may have passed.
At 33, he likely will not have heaps of fights left in the sport and will be looking for the biggest possible opponent for his next bout. The British prizefighter stated that he would love to fight for a title next, with Jermall Charlo currently holding the WBC belt likely being the biggest name of all the champions. Eubank Jr. also let it be known that if fighting for the title was not an option, he would love the opportunity to face off against Gennady Golovkin in a fight that was talked about en mass several years ago. Golovkin is now certainly towards the tail end of his career at 41, yet has still only ever lost to Canelo Alvarez and has certainly established himself as one of the greatest boxers that the middleweight division has ever seen. A fight against Eubank Jr would certainly be a massive occasion.
