Boxing

CHRIS EUBANK Jr pulled out the excuses and claimed he is still a better fighter than Liam Smith despite being knocked out in the fourth round of their clash.The close encounter was ended in devastating fashion by Smith who rocked Eubank with a flurry of big shots.
Chris Eubank was full of excuses for his defeat to Liam SmithCredit: Reuters
Smith stopped Eubank in the fourth roundCredit: Getty
The Brit hit the canvas but got back up before Smith knocked him down again, leading the ref to call a halt to proceedings.
Despite the defeat Eubank still believes he is a better fighter and explained a slip caused his second fall.
The 33-year-old also spoke about only fighting at “50 per cent”, and used that as an excuse for his poor performance.
Eubank told Sky Sports: “I was dominating the fight and then I got caught. In my mind, I’m still the better fighter.
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“Obviously I wouldn’t have much of an argument after a loss, but I have an argument to prove I’m the better fighter.
“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, threw a bunch more punches, I slipped and then the referee stopped it.”
Eubank was left with a swollen eye and a suspected orbital break but is targeting a rematch against Smith, 34.
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After the fight his rival Conor Benn, who he was supposed to fight last year, mocked him alongside his dad Nigel.
Benn laughed at Eubank and suggested their fight would have lasted no longer than two rounds. More

A SHAKEN Chris Eubank Jr had to be held back and protected by Liam Smith’s trainer after trying to fight on despite being knocked out. Eubank was sent crashing to the canvas twice in round four by Smith – marking the first time he was ever dropped as a professional.
Chris Eubank Jr was knocked out by Liam Smith in round fourCredit: Reuters
Watch Liam Smith’s trainer Joe McNally rush in from the opposite corner to help Chris Eubank Jr and tell him the fights over. Joe protected Eubank Jr’s health instead of celebrating with Liam. Amazing sportsmanship. pic.twitter.com/SsmEZrdbym— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) January 22, 2023

A barrage of punches while pinned in the corner forced the first knockdown before then being bundled to the deck again.
Eubank bravely made it to his feet both times but referee Victor Loughlin had no other choice other than to wave it off.
The stunned middleweight was stumbling across the ring but tried to fight on even after Loughlin called a halt.
So much so that Eubank ran up to Smith, believing the bout was still continuing.
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It took the opposing corner – in the form of coach Joe McNally – to grab Eubank and ensure his safety.
Eventually the son of British boxing royalty cleared his head to congratulate Smith while insisting he was good to carry on.
Eubank said: “Big congratulations to him, I felt like I could have gone on but he caught me with a great shot.”
The beaten boxer has the chance to gain redemption with the right to rematch in his contract.
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But he could be made to go behind enemy lines against Liverpool’s Smith.
Eubank said: “If the fans want to see a rematch then we can get it on at Anfield.”
Smith teased taking the sequel back home to Merseyside having come up in weight to KO Eubank, who was left with a horror eye swell.
He said: “If Chris wants the rematch we can do that on my terms.
“I agreed to the rematch clause beforehand so we can see, I can beat all the best fights at 160lbs and 154lbs.”
Liam Smith knocked down Chris Eubank Jr twiceCredit: PA
Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith embraceCredit: Getty More

ROY JONES JR revealed Chris Eubank Jr was in good spirits after his loss to Liam Smith – with a rematch already on his mind. Eubank was stunned in defeat to Smith in Manchester, hitting the deck twice before being stopped in four rounds.
Liam Smith knocking down Chris Eubank JrCredit: Getty
It was the first time the middleweight had ever been put down in his professional career, causing shockwaves across the sport.
Eubank’s pre-fight boast of being able to beat Smith at just 50 per cent of his ability came back to haunt him in devastating fashion.
But the son of British boxing royalty amazingly found the funny side of it when he was consoled by his coach.
Jones told iFL TV: “To be perfectly honest with you, he’s taken it better than I did!
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“Taking it totally better than I did, he was like, ‘OK, I guess 50 per cent didn’t work, I guess I’ll come back at 75.’
“And that’s funny because he’s still joking, he’s still having a good time, so he understands, this is boxing and when you fight the best boxers in the world like that and challenge all comers, this might happen.”
Jones’ cloak of invincibility famously vanished in 2004 when he was knocked out for the first time, by Antonio Tarver.
The American icon went on to lose four more times by KO as he fought into his 50s.
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Eubank’s famous father Sr claimed to have never even seen his son buckled in the ring as he tweeted out congratulations to Smith.
But Jones – a former four-division champion who is now considered one of the all time greats – insisted it happens to the best of them.
He said: “I just told him, ‘Hey, it’s happens.’
“We have times in the gym, we have talks in the gym, we have things that we do and until that happens there’s certain things it’s going to be hard for a coach to say to a fighter.
“Like I told him, I’d rather a body shot to a head shot. He say, ‘No, I’m the other way round, I’d rather get hit with a head shot than a body shot.’
“Well, he’s never been hurt to the head, so of course he’s going to think that. He’s not going to say anything different because he’s never been down from a head shot.
“Now, he understands what I mean from that because I’ve experienced that, now he can see what I was talking about.”
Eubank does have the chance to gain redemption due to a rematch clause in his contract.
And both fighters have opened the door to a sequel at Anfield.
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Jones revealed Eubank is up for a second fight but admitted it may not be immediately.
He said: “I don’t know if he goes straight back into it but I do know he wants it.”
Chris Eubank Jr with trainer Roy Jones JrCredit: Getty
Chris Eubank Jr shakes hands with Liam Smith following defeatCredit: PA More

LIAM SMITH has set his sights on Kell Brook and Gennady Golovkin Jr after sensationally knocking out Chris Eubank Jr. Eubank was dropped for the first time in his professional career after a barrage of shots in round four sent him to the canvas.
Liam Smith beat Chris Eubank Jr in four roundsCredit: Reuters
And Smith, 34, bundled him down again which forced referee Victor Loughlin to call a halt to the action.
Eubank, 33, does have a rematch clause in his contract, guaranteeing him a sequel if he wants it.
But following the news Brook, 36, fancies coming out of retirement, Smith has another blockbuster British option.
And he could even inherit a potential middleweight title shot from Eubank against WBA and IBF champion Golovkin, 40.
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Smith said: “I’m open to anything, I always have been. You can ask anyone who’s ever dealt with me over the years, I’m not hard to deal with.
“But if it’s Chris next it’s Chris next, if not I’ll sit down and I’ve got very good options.
“Ben [Shalom] said Kell wants to fight the winner, that’s a huge fight. I know there’s talks of Golovkin.
“So I’m in a good position now at 160 as well as 154, so a win today was all that matters.”
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Brook retired last year after finally getting a winning shot at long-time rival Amir Khan, 36.
Meanwhile Golovkin is still champion at middleweight but last September lost his super-middleweight trilogy bout to Canelo Alvarez, 32.
Smith’s own future may not be in his own hands, depending on what Eubank chooses to do with his right to rematch.
But the former light-middleweight champ insisted, having come up a division, he calls the shots on any rerun.
He said: “If Chris wants the rematch we can do that on my terms.
“I agreed to the rematch clause beforehand so we can see, I can beat all the best fights at 160lbs and 154lbs.”
Kell Brook has teased coming out of retirementCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Gennady Golovkin is WBA and IBF middleweight championCredit: EPA More

CHRIS EUBANK JR was taunted by Conor Benn and Billy Joe Saunders as they twisted the knife in following his surprise loss to Liam Smith. Eubank hit the deck twice – his first trip to the canvas as a professional – in round four before the fight was stopped.
Liam Smith beat Chris Eubank Jr in round fourCredit: Getty
The middleweight, 33, only took the bout following the collapse of his catchweight clash with Benn, 26.
But Benn failed drug tests and the fight – almost 30 years after their dads’ famous rematch – was scrapped.
The unbeaten welterweight is fighting to clear his name and is growing increasingly confident in doing so.
And despite a period of silence, Benn came out swinging in reaction to Eubank’s brutal loss to Smith.
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He said with a smirk to father Nigel: “What you saying dad? Wouldn’t have gone past two would it.”
Benn was not the only one of Eubank’s rivals to chime in as Saunders, 33, dedicated a rare social media post to his old opponent.
The former two-weight world champion won their 2014 European title fight and a rematch has been talked about ever since.
Saunders took the chance to aim a dig at Eubank, who claimed he could beat Smith at 50 per cent of his ability.
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He posted a series of laughing face emojis with the caption: “50%.”
Eubank faces a fight to save his career but can gain redemption by exercising his rematch clause with a sequel in Liverpool.
He said: “If the fans want to see a rematch, we can get it on at Anfield.”
Smith responded: “If Chris wants the rematch we can do that on my terms.
“I agreed to the rematch clause beforehand so we can see, I can beat all the best fights at 160lbs and 154lbs.”
Chris Eubank Jr pictured with Conor BennCredit: Getty
Chris Eubank Jr lost to Billy Joe Saunders in 2014Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More