Saturday’s all-British middleweight collision between Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith at the AO Arena in Manchester conjures up memories of a golden age that featured Eubank’s father, Chris Sr., Nigel Benn, and Michael Watson, who threw down in classic battles.
Can Eubank Jr. and Smith deliver the same type of explosive action that captivated U.K. audiences in the early 1990s? That will be a tall order, but this fight has been eagerly anticipated for a long time now and both men are confident of victory.
“Liam Smith is going to get a serious lesson,” said Eubank Jr. in an interview with BoxingScene. “All these guys say all the same things leading up to these big fights and then when it actually comes down to the crunch time, when that bell goes, all the words flutter away and they just end up getting dominated by the better fighter in me.
“I don’t think it’s going to be too much of a challenge, so I don’t think I need to spar any more than eight rounds. That’s probably how long the fight is going to last. Guys that are a little bit more dangerous than Liam I’d probably be sparring 12 rounds, but I think eight’s more than enough for Liam Smith. I’m not being disrespectful, I’m just very confident.”
While not as loquacious as Eubank Jr., the 34-year-old Smith is not one to take infringements lightly. The former WBO super welterweight titleholder has whipped himself into excellent fighting shape and is undeterred by Eubank’s pre-fight antics.
“He’s somehow developed himself a big name in British boxing,” Smith told Sky Sports. “The name he is, the money he’s made in boxing is crazy because I think he’s won a British title.
“He’s never won a world title and he’s made stupid money out of boxing and he’s a big name. So they’ve obviously done something right. But I think the name’s helped that massively.”
Who’s fooling who? The Sporting News takes a look at the betting odds and predicts the outcome:
Odds for Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith
Per Sky Bet, Eubank Jr. is a -225 favourite, while Smith is the +188 underdog.
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Eubank Jr. is the -250 favourite, while Smith is the +175 underdog.
Betting trends for Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith
Per the FanDuelSportsbook:
Eubank via KO/TKO: +100
Eubank via decision: +400
Smith via KO/TKO: +320
Smith via decision: +600
Draw: +1600
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith prediction
This is not an easy fight to call.
While Eubank Jr. is the naturally bigger man, Smith does have a significant advantage in terms of experience at the highest level. The Liverpool man has also been the more active fighter in recent months.
Eubank Jr. usually starts fast and will drop the pace if a knockout is not forthcoming. By contrast, Smith tends to warm into a fight before testing his opponent’s endurance down the stretch.
The 34-year-old Smith has only been stopped once, and that was by former pound-for pound No. 1 Canelo Alvarez in September 2016. Eubank, 33, is also known for his durability and has never been down as a professional.
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The statistics point to a distance fight and it’s a case of who controls their segment of the battle best. Can Smith’s late-round charge close the scoring gap that’s likely to be in Eubank’s favour by the midway point?
My feeling is that Eubank will get the benefit of the doubt on the scorecards via close – perhaps even controversial – decision.
Sporting News prediction: Eubank Jr. via UD 12
Chris Eubank Jr. record and bio
Nationality: British
Born: Sept. 18, 1989
Height: 5-11
Reach: 72.5
Total fights: 34
Record: 32-2 (23 KOs)
Liam Smith record and bio
Nationality: British
Born: July 27, 1988
Height: 5-9 1/2
Reach: ?
Total fights: 36
Record: 32-3-1 (19 KOs)
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith fight card
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith, middleweight
Ekow Essuman vs. Chris Kongo, British and Commonwealth welterweight championships
Joseph Parker vs. Jack Massey, heavyweight
Richard Riakporhe vs. Krzysztof Glowacki, cruiserweight
Frazer Clarke vs. TBA
