BRITISH boxing raced back into the gutter for a dismal start to 2023 with homophobic jibes.
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank is an excellent middleweight battle at Manchester Arena on Saturday night.
There are no plastic belts on the line, just honour and integrity – or so we thought.
Because when Sky Sports clumsily gave Liverpool 34-year-old Smith the microphone and encouraged him to verbally attack his opponent, he obliged with veiled digs at Eubank’s hairline and sexuality.
Smith started the slanging match by having a dig at Eubank’s personal life – which he shields from social media – and moved on to have a dig at his tattooed hairline, saying: “Has anyone ever seen Chris with a girl?
“He’s 33 and he’s talking about having kids but you need a woman to have kids. I wonder if he wants to tell us something.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“This is not for laughs, but he’s posting photos of himself with Neymar in limousines, nobody in this room has ever seen you with a woman.”
He followed it up with: “You have tried to talk about my hair.
“I went grey when I was very young, shall we talk about your hairline or your beard getting tattooed on?”
Eubank tried to keep things civilised by quashing the grubby exchange, but none of Sky’s broadcast team intervened to curb the downward spiral.
Most read in Boxing
In the end, after much goading, Eubank replied: “My private life is my private life, that’s irrelevant to my boxing.
“I am happy and comfortable. I used to think Tony Bellew was the biggest arsehole to come out of Liverpool.
“But Liam has taken that number one spot now, that’s impressive.
“What you’re asking is a bit fruity, about my hairline and beard. You’re asking me about my beard and my sexuality.”
Sky Boxing presenter Anna Woolhouse was forced to apologise.
She said: “We would like to apologise if you have been offended by the offensive language, personal and homophobic remarks made up on stage.”.
It was a pathetic start to 2023, ruining the build-up to a genuinely excellent fight.
Well, that escalated quickly.
Chris Eubank Jr
Smith is respected former super-welterweight world champion, from a fine fighting family.
Eubank Jr is the free spirit who has made being the bad guy a business.
They are both above mud slinging but are pushed to sell pay-per-views.
And Smith was the first to start the x-rated insults, following an online exchange.
The former super-welterweight world champ growled: “I have fought better fighters than Chris.
“People think he has got under my skin but he has made a c*** of himself.
“He has slid into my DMs and made a c*** of himself. He put it online and got slaughtered for it.
Read More on The Sun
“The only people who will be shocked by my win will be the people who think I cannot box at 160lbs.”
Later on, when the dirty had almost settled, Eubank Jr Tweeted: “Well, that escalated quickly.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
