LIAM SMITH has been forced to postpone his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr due to injury – but a new date has been confirmed.
The British rivals were due to meet again on June 17 at the Manchester Arena, the scene of their first pay-per-view fight.
But Smith has seen a request to postpone the bout by two weeks accepted, with the rematch rescheduled for July 1.
He said: “It’s just an old injury niggle flaring up but I want to take the time to let it heal up so that I can enter the ring at 100 per cent on fight night, because a 100 per cent Liam Smith beats Chris Eubank Jr every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
Former WBO light-middleweight champion Smith stunned Eubank with a shock fourth-round stoppage win.
Smith – who moved up to middleweight – twice had the son of a legend down before the fight was waved off.
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Eubank, 33, exercised his rematch clause but was also still in talks to reschedule a grudge match with family rival Conor Benn, 26.
The pair were due to meet in a 157lb catchweight clash in October, almost 30 years after their fathers’ famous rematch.
But Benn failed two pre-fight drug tests – which saw the blockbuster scrapped – and has been fighting to clear his name since.
The welterweight – who has protested his innocence – does not have a British Boxing Board of Control licence currently.
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It meant Eubank would have to fight Benn abroad for the bitter bout to be revived.
So he instead opted to rematch Smith, 34, while Benn begins the process of fighting to get his career back on track.
Eubank was both knocked down and out for the first time and looks to avenge the result with his career on the line.
He said: “Liam had the night of his life against me in January, the stars aligned for him in Manchester, and he went away with a big win.
“But lightning doesn’t strike twice. If he even has the slightest thought that he can beat me again, then great, because it will be his undoing.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
