Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr II summary, round by round, stats, opinion
Chris Eubank Jr avenges loss with emphatic dismantling of Liam Smith
It was in many ways what we thought the first fight would be like. Liam Smith is a tough nut to crack, and has a strong boxing pedigree, but Chris Eubank was the more skilled boxer of the two. It was supposed to be a drawn out demonstration of how the sweet science can overcome brutal force.
And then Smith pulled off what Eubank referred to as "the miracle shot", handing Junior his first knockout of his career. The pundits and public wrote Eubank off in the rematch and were made to look foolish in the process.
Tonight, Chris Eubank put on a masterful display of why his pedigree matters. The nut, after all, doesn't fall far from the tree.
In the first fight, Eubank was proud, looking for the quick knockout. He kept his hands down and went for uppercut after uppercut, often hitting nothing and leaving himself wide open for the eventual counter that did him in. Well, he learned a lesson.
There was none of that in the rematch. Eubank stayed poised and disciplined, working behind his jab from opening bell to the final wave off. Emphatically, he avenged that loss. Vividly he showed the world his true colors. Calling for bigger fights, Eubank called out Conor Benn, son of his father's old rival Nigel, as well as Gennady Golovkin and Kell Brook. If he wins any of those in the way that he won tonight, Eubank could be on the cusp of the biggest payday of his career.
Smith on the other hand now has a problem to deal with. Will he push for the rematch, making this a trilogy? Or will he move on? And if so, where will he move on to? What is out there for him to tackle? In many ways, that will be the defining question for him in the coming days.
Goodbye!
That will conclude our live coverage of the Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank II fight. Thank you for joining us, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Keep up to date with all of the boxing action here with Diario AS USA. Good night!
Eubank calls out a who's who of middleweight fighters in the post fight interview, specifically naming Gennady Golovkin. "He's had them belts too long, I want one of them!"
Liam Smith says that he had some trouble making weight and that led to his flat, immobile performance. He said that he simply couldn't move his feet and that led to him rolling his ankles. But the source of it was the weight.
Coming into that round, my scorecard was 80-90 to Eubank and it is difficult to see it any other way. He won every round and with that knockdown it was just complete domination, a dismantling of Liam Smith.
What a turnaround by Eubank. He dominated that fight from bell to bell. Whatever issues may have been going on with Smith's ankles, there was never any movement out of him, neither in his legs nor in his upper body.
Eubank showed his quality in waiting for his moment. Traditionally aggressive, Eubank will look for the early knockout. That is what got him in trouble in the first fight. Tonight he showed restraint an poise in waiting for Smith to have no way out.
Chris Eubank Jr wins by TKO
Eubank comes out and lands a left hand which wobbles Smith. You could clearly see that both of Smith's ankles rolled in the last round. He is in trouble here.
Eubank throws a flurry of punches at Smith as he lays back on the ropes and eventually withers under the barrage.
He survives the count but Eubank goes back on the attack and Smith once again leans on the rope, avoiding much but taking heavy shots as well. The referee has seen enough! He steps in and stops the fight!
Smith tries to bring the fight to a head, throwing a punishing combo. But as immobile as he is, Eubank easily recovers and comes back with his own. There is no lateral movement from Smith at all. He is straight up in front of Eubank.
Eubank shows flashes of wanting to go for the knockout, but wisely holds off. Eubank lands a one-two and an uppercut, to which Smith mouths "Good shot."
This is all going Eubank's way.
This is looking all to be one-way traffic. Smith is plodding, slow, not as sharp as he normally is. He has a granite chin and the heart of a lion, but when you are in the ring with as talented a pugilist as Chris Eubank, you have to be more than just brave.
Smith gets into trouble and Eubank lets him off the ropes. That is unusual for Eubank, and perhaps shows that he is aware of the way the fight is going. The only way that Eubank can lose now is if Smith starts knocking him down, or knocking him out.
Smith seems to be having trouble with his right ankle. He is flexing it and wobbling in the middle of the ring. He had a funny turn in the first round where it slipped on him and if it is giving him problems, that could explain some of his immobility.
Eubank works behind the jab and while the final minute threatened to turn into a trading war, it ends with both fighters having words in the middle of the ring.
This is a war! Eubank is throwing everything at Smith that he can muster. Smith is static, not mobile, not throwing anything back, just avoiding enough to sap Eubank's energy, but not making him pay for those misses. As the round comes to a close, Smith looks like he is starting to try and get some counters in, but it is not enough to win the round.
Eubank goes straight back in and is throwing bombs! Smith is seconds away from being stopped. He threw just enough back to keep the ref out of it. He manages to avoid a lot of the blows but he took at lot of punishment as well. Smith looks clumsy, perhaps not hurt as badly as you might expect, and he throws an overhand right that catches Eubank, knocking his gumshield out.
Eubank is using a lot of energy, but if rope-a-dope is Smith's plan, then he needs to shift to the attack soon. He is falling dangerously far behind on the cards.
Eubank comes out in the fourth banging. He throws combo after combo and puts Smith down! His gumshield is out and so he gets a bit more time to recover.
Eubank goes straight back in and Smith is under a bit of pressure! Eubank is pure confidence at the moment. Liam Smith is covering and standing still. That is something that you can't do in front of Chris Eubank.
The round ends and Smith just about survives it. That was huge for Eubank!
Eubank lets his hands fly at the start of the round and finds Smith with that uppercut. Again they grapple at the center of the ring and Eubank is looking for that uppercut. You can train how you like but you always revert to form. Eubank clearly thinks that he can knock Smith out and he is in danger of going for it too soon rather than trust his plan. He has won the first two rounds but doesn't seem content to stick to his jab. Eubank won that round as well, but if he isn't careful it could turn out to be Pyrrhic. Smith isn't hurt and Eubank is opening himself up for a counter.
They are working a bit further out this round, and Eubank is grabbing onto Smith every time he comes in close. Eubank is working well at long range, using his height and reach to his advantage. He hasn't been throwing silly uppercuts like in the first fight. At the bell he pushes Smith to the canvas and the referee rightly says that it is not a knockdown.
Again they are very comparable but perhaps Eubank a little more active.
The bell sounds and we are off and running. Both men go in and Smith ties up Eubank's left arm. The referee is happy to let them work inside, boxing their way out, and both men are happy to fight that way. It is untidy, but effective.
Eubank is trying to let his hands go, but Smith is taking the fight inside. Not many clean blows landed in that round and it is really kind of a dealer's choice as to who won it. Eubank was perhaps the more active fighter of the two.
This is the end of all the hype. The rematch is on.
As Eubank is announced in the ring, the boos ring out and it looks like Eubank is relishing the role of villain! He is all smiles, holding his cloved hand to his ear.
While Eubank has been vocal about how this fight will determine his future in boxing, much the same is true of Smith. He is desperate to end this rivalry and move forward. He has had a chomp at the big time when he fought Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas and he wants to get back to that level of payday again.
Chris Eubank stands in his way.
Liam Smith's entrance is the polar opposite. The Liverpool native has the full backing of the Manchester crowd. The two cities are separated by only 35 miles, often sharing influence over some suburban areas.
As Smith makes his entrance, the arena has the air of a party, with raucous cheering by the crowd. He pauses to savor the moment and comes out smiling from ear to ear. The crowd love him and he is drinking it in.
The sold out crowd in Manchester is on their feet, waiting for Eubank to enter. As is his style, he makes them wait, slowly making his way to the arena and looking determined as he walks out to a few boos, a few jibes, and gives a nod to it by raising a glove to his ear.
He emulates his father by leaping the top rope and finishing it off with a flurry of uppercuts. Like legendary father, like son.
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr (II) (middleweight)
It is now time for the main event! The rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith. Popular fan opinion in the arena leans heavily toward a Smith repeat victory, but Eubank has a level of quality that could turn that on it's head.
Azim wins by UD
The judges at ringside saw it:
98-92
100-90
99-91
all for Adam Azim.
I think that it was perhaps harsh of the judge to give Azim every round, but in reality there was very little in it through the first five. I gave Faniian three rounds mainly based on work rate and landed shots, but the truth is that Faniian always looked a bit wild, a bit unkempt.
The final round and Faniian probably needs a knockout to win this. He comes out taking a few more risks but not enough to get through Azim's guard. Faniian's charge is repeatedly checked by the jab of Azim.
Going forward, Azim is landing great right hands to the head, but they are not doing any damage.
As the bell goes, I see that as 97-93 to Azim, which is far closer than it should have been. Azim's reticence early on to follow that jab up let a couple of rounds slip away when they shouldn't have.
Let's see what the judges say.
The fight is back to it's previous state, with Azim working behind the jab and Faniian charging in. Azim is in control but is not going for broke like he did in round eight. A more cagey ending to the round, but Azim should be firmly ahead on the cards.
Finally! Azim comes forward, letting his hands fly. He gets Faniian onto the ropes and starts to land good shots. Faniian pushes back and works off the ropes but he is completely on the back foot here, just trying to survive the round.
He gets out of trouble and gets to the bell, but that was good work from Azim.
Azim is beginning to let his right hand go a little more, and is not yet finding his mark, but this is the way to win this fight for Azim.
This round is much like the entire fight has been so far. Azim is looking by far like the better boxer. His jabs are crisp and he is landing them for the most part. Faniian on the other hand looks scrappy, messy. But here is the thing. Faniian is landing far more shots than Azim should be letting through. Perhaps even in some cases the more hurtful shots.
In a purely pugilistic sense, Azim is well up. But when you look at landed shots, Faniian is keeping this fight close.
A slipped jab and a strong back hand counter lands on Azim's chin, and Faniian is starting to feel comfortable going in and picking off Azim here.
Azim is landing his shots when he throws them, but they are simply too conservative. Single jabs are not enough to win this fight. He needs to think more in terms of two or even three punch combos.
Faniian has been very defensive up to now but he is finding confidence and going in, throwing combinations, and having some success. Azim is still working behind that jab, but it is still just single shots, rather than letting his hands go.
Faniian is finding success with a jab-hook combo and Azim has eaten a few of the second. Azim goes in with the one-two and catches a counter to the face.
Azim has such a wide stance, looking for the counter, but it is Faniian who finds success early on, slipping a jab and landing a nice left hook. Nothing to worry Azim, but showing that there is danger waiting if he underestimates Faniian on the way forward.
Faniian lets a great left hook while going to Azim's body, throwing him off balance and perhaps hurting the Brit for the first time.
As the round ends, both fighters come together and trade right hands.
Faniian goes in a bit wildly to open the round and is caught with a stiff jab by Azim. With both men still looking to maintain their range, Azim is angling for the counter punch.
Faniian goes in somewhat awkwardly and both trade jabs before clenching. The fight is still cagey but perhaps showing signs of opening up.
The fight gets underway with both men looking to make a statement. Faniian eats a jab and follows it up by delivering one of his own to Azim. Both fighters are looking to get in and out, with Azim doing good work with his feet, but Faniian is finding his mark on the way out in the opening round.
Adam Azim vs Aram Faniian (super lightweight)
We now move on to a 10-round super lightweight bout between Adam Azim and Aram Faniian for the WBA Intercontinental title.
Aram Faniian is a Ukrane-based Armenian fighter who brings a 23-1 record to the ring.
Adam Azim is a British fighter of Pakstani extraction who comes into the ring with an 8-0 record. In his last fight, Azim won the vacant WBA Continental light welterweight title.
In the post fight interview with Frazer Clarke a few things come out. Firstly, David Allen retired from the fight with a perforated eardrum, so it was one of those late shots that did the damage.
And secondly, Clarke thinks that his low shots were legal, accusing Allen's corner of gaming the system, fishing for more money in a rematch. He is deluding himself if he thinks that those shots were legal. Everything below the navel is illegal. Allen's foul protector was below his navel and his shorts were below that. There is no doubt that they were low. All of them.
Frazer Clarke wins by TKO
David Allen retires from the fight in his corner, perhaps as a result of the low blows, although the corner and his team are looking at his mouth. He may have jaw damage or perhaps has bitten his tongue. It is a shame that it ended that way, but it was perhaps inevitable.
The round starts with another low blow and the referee decides to deduct a point from Clarke. Well deserved too!
Another low blow from Clarke and another point is deducted! This is getting stupid now!
Clarke needs to get back to the jab. Stay away from the uppercuts. Clarke is well up on the cards but he will have two points lost in this round, so far.
Another low blow from Clarke and time is called. the referee doesn't take another point off but perhaps he should.
The round finally comes to a close with a great one-two from Clarke that catches Allen flush.
Round five gets underway with both fighters clenching in the middle of the ring, to the referee's annoyance. They both seem unwilling to box their way out of it, and he is having to break them up with increasing regularity.
He has a word with Allen for holding and hitting, as Allen is holding Clarke's head down. Both of these fighters are big men and they are exhausted, using their weight to lean on their opponent, fatiguing him. Clarke throws another very low blow raises a cry from the crowd. The referee stops the fight and allows Allen to recover. When they come back to fight, Clarke immediately throws two uppercuts directly to Allen's testicles as the round ends. Very dirty.
Clarke is looking for that uppercut, but Allen is able to avoid it and walk his man onto the ropes. Another low blow from Clarke but the referee doesn't see it. Allen is clearly displeased and on the next break gives Clarke a shove to the face. Clarke smiles recognizing what is happening.
The final minute sees Clarke still going to the body, committed to working low and looking for the uppercut. Allen ties him up and the round ends on a body blow from Clarke.
Allen finally lets his hands go a little and backs Clarke onto the ropes. A clean uppercut from Clarke stops the attack and turns Allen. Both fighters work their way out the center of the ring and clench, both big men betraying the toll that these booming shots are taking on their lumbering frames.
With 30 seconds to go in the round Clarke hits Allen with a very low blow. The ref calls time and allows the fighter to recover. They restart and both poke jabs at each other until the bell.
Allen comes out in round two and throws a double jab to start. But it is short lived, with Clarke taking control almost immediately. He tries to prise open that high guard of Allen, before going back down to the body, this time with a thunderous right hand.
Allen plods his way forward and Clarke works the jab again. The occasional poke to the face of Clarke keeps Allen in the fight.
Clarke come out and tries to establish the jab, but Allen is a wily old soldier, having seen all of this before. Clarke lands a double and thinks that he has his man, but Allen backs away, covers and is out of trouble immediately.
Clarke changes tack and goes to the body with a left hook. Allen is not throwing much back, just covering and taking the measure of Clarke.
Frazer Clarke vs David Allen (heavyweight)
Now we have a 10-round bout at heavyweight that sees David Allen take on Frazer Clarke. Allen has shared the ring with many of the best, having lost to Dillian Whyte, Luis Ortiz, and David Price.
Frazer Clarke won the bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 and has since started off his pro career at a perfect 7-0.
Jack Cullen wins by KO
This fight is startng to loosen up in the third, both men coming in and throwing shots. Cullen snaps Heffron's head back with a stiff jab, before catching a left in the ear that stiffens his legs.
Both trade and a peach of a right hook drops Heffron like a brick! He struggles to stand but his legs are gone! The ref waves it off! Jack Cullen is the new British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight champion!
Heffron is having some success in pushing this toward an inside battle, closing that distance, and working behind a nice double jab. Cullen slips out of range and lays a beautiful counter combo on Heffron, catching him with both hnads on the way in. This is starting to heat up, with both fighters happy to let their hands fly.
Cullen has a clear height and reach advantage over Heffron, and he is using it to his advantage early. Heffron is trying to get in and out but if the fight stays at long range, you have to feel that Cullen will warm into it nicely.
Mark Heffron vs Jack Cullen (British Super Middleweight title)
Now a 12-round bout for the British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight title. Jack Cullen comes in at 21-4 and comes in as the reigning IBF International super-middleweight champion. He is challenging a 29-2 Mark Heffron for his British and Commonwealth titles.
Mayer wins by UD
Referee Steve Gray saw it slightly wider than I did, giving Mayer every round. 100-90 for Mikaela Mayer.
I gave one round to Bortot, with another split between the fighters, but this should be a wide decision for Mayer. Let's see what the judges say. My card is 99-92 Mayer.
The final round gets going and both fighters meet in the middle of the ring, trading blows. The quality shots are coming from Mayer, as has been the case throughout, but equally the aggression is provided by Bortot. Her aggressioin seems directionless at times, simply charging straight in. Mayer is outboxing her but the fight is competitive.
Mayer has claimed the center of the ring, with Bortot circling. This is perhaps the first lateral movement that we have seen from the Italian. Mayer tracks her down and lays on the pedal here. Bortot looks hurt. She is holding on, gasping for air. Perhaps that body work is paying off.
Bortot stays on the front foot here, but she is not finding the target. Mayer is covering up well and making Bortot pay for any opening that she leaves.
Mayer switches the momentum at the midway point in the round, going on the attack, staying with the body and slowing Bortot down. Mayer puts together some great combos at the end of the round.
Bortot starts doing some good work here, again pressing the issue, finding some success on the counter punches. When she doesn't leave Mayer time to think, to load up, she finds more success. The work to the body that Mayer has been doing has slowed Bortot somewhat so she needs to keep the pressure on.
The pace slows as the sixth gets goint, with Bortot looking perhaps a little more nervous about the shots coming back at her. She is still claiming the center of the ring, but she is giving Mayer the room to work in and out, looking for openings.
As the round ends, they are beginning to trade and both are catching shots.
Bortot claims the center of the ring, walking Mayer down and catching her with nice counter right hands. Mayer goes in and lands a great overhand right, making Bortot pay for a lazy jab that she poked out. That body work is paying dividends for Mayer, with Bortot's guard dropping to protect that midriff. Mayer lands a great combo of hooks and right hands to the head.
A stiff opening jab rocks Bortot onto her heels, but she recovers well. Both fighters look happy to stand in the middle of the ring and trade shots. Neither looks to be too worried by the other.
As the round closes, Bortot seems to find her timing, landing several counter punches as Mayer came in. Better stuff from the Italian.
As teh third gets started, Mayer looks a little flat-footed and Bortot catches her with a stiff left. As she presses the attack, it is stopped cold by a beautiful right hand from Mayer.
There is a lot of one-two shots coming from Mayer, but she is mixing it in nicely with a left to the body, which is catching Bortot every time. You have to feel that if this continues, the late rounds will see the Italian's hands drop and open her up to the head.
Bortot comes out in the second trying to close the distance, pushing in and throwing her hands. Mayer backs out of trouble and looks content to stay in range at the moment. She manages to meet Bortot at her own game, exchanging blows in the middle of the ring, ending the round on a high note.
As the fight gets underway, Mayer shows her quality, dictating the pace of the fight, getting in and out. Bortot is having trouble finding the range, trying to turn it into a trading war, but Mayer is too quick.
Mikaela Mayer vs Silvia Bortot (super lightweight)
Now American Mikaela Mayer will take on Italian Silvia Bortot in a 10-round super lightweight bout. Mayer is angling for a clash with Natasha Jonas and has stepped up several weight categories to make it happen. She is the favored fighter in this bout but you can never underestimate the toll that stepping up in weight takes on your body.
Seven months later, Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. meet again in the ring at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. In their first bout, Smith dominated his opponent in a fight many believed would be close, but the reality was that the match ended very quickly.
Our own Fidel Rubio sizes up the two fighters here.
Lauren Price vs Lolita Muzeya (welterweight)
Earlier in the evening, Olympic Gold medalist and history-making women’s British welterweight titlist Lauren Price got a TKO over Zambia’s Lolita Muzeya. The fight was stopped due to a cut over Muzeya’s left eye from an inadvertent headbutt in the fifth round.
In her post fight interview, Price called out both Mikaela Mayer and two-division and reigning IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas.
“I respect both girls for what they’ve done for women’s boxing." She went on to say that it would be an honor to face Jonas this year.
Marku calls for the big fights in his post fight interview. "I have two hands, give me the big fights. Give me Josh Taylor, give me Kell Brook..."
"Put me on later in the night and I am going to steal the show!"
Marku wins by TKO
As the fight gets underway, the two fighters come out pawing at each other, with Marku landing a quick right and with his kickboxing background coming to the fore, pounces on Moran, unloadiing a flurry of shots, hurting Moran, bullying him onto the ropes, stepping on the gas and leaving the ref no option but to step in and stop the fight!
That was quick, that was violent, and Marku demolishes Moran in under a minute!
Florian Marku vs Dylan Moran (welterweight)
Our undercard action gets underway with a ten-round clash in the welterweight division between Florian Marku and Dylan Moran.
Dylan Moran comes in as an 18-1 southpaw, shooting to prominience as a sparring partner for Conor McGregor.
His opponent is an Albanian former kickboxing champion in Florian Marku at 13-0-1. He has held the IBF International welterweight title since September 2021, and the WBC welterweight title since August 2022.
Chris Eubank Jr. will try to bounce back from his clear defeat to Liam Smith back in January in a rematch where full-packed action and intensity are expected.
Diario AS's very own Fidel Rubiotakes a look at Chris Eubank Jr. here.
The highly-anticipated rematch between the most bitter of middleweight rivals, Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday, September 2nd and we’re sure it’s going to be a good one.
Our very own Paul Ruddertakes a look at Liam Smith here.
The Full Card
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr (II) (middleweight)
Frazer Clarke vs David Allen (heavyweight)
Lauren Price vs Lolita Muzeya (welterweight)
Mikaela Mayer vs Silvia Bortot (super lightweight)
Adam Azim vs Aram Faniian (super lightweight)
Mark Heffron vs Jack Cullen (British Super Middleweight title)
Frankie Stringer vs Engel Gomez (lightweight)
Florian Marku vs Dylan Moran (welterweight)
The main card is set to get underway at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
Tale of the tape
Liam Smith
Age: 35
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 9.5in
Reach: 71”
Record: 33-3-1
Chris Eubank Jr
Age: 33
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 11in
Reach: 72.5”
Record: 32-3
Following the loss, Eubank split with coach Roy Jones Jr. and has now teamed up with Brian "BoMac" McIntyre, who masterminded Terence Crawford's dismantling of Errol Spence in July.
Smith feels confident that he has Eubank's number and can stop him again, while Eubank describes this bout as a fight for his very survival, a determining point in his future.
Their first meeting produced a shock result as Smith dominated from the outset, with a brief showing of quality in the third round by Eubank. It was not enough to stop the onslaught and the fourth round saw Eubank handed his first stoppage; in fact the first time that he had been hurt in any way in his career. Few people outside the Smith camp saw the fight playing out how it did and Eubank dismissed the KO as a "miracle shot" by Smith.
Both of these fighters come in to this bout with a solid pedigree and a chip on their shoulder. Liam Smith enters with a 33-3-1 record, his only losses being two decision losses to Magomed Kurbanov and Jaime Munguia and a ninth round KO to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
A member of Liverpool, England's prolific fighting Smith family, which includes brothers Paul, Stephen, and Callum with multiple world, British, and European titles between them. Liam has held British, Commonwealth, and European titles, which brought him onto Canelo's radar in the first place.
Chris Eubank Jr has a pedigree every bit as impressive as Smith's. As the son of Chris Eubank Sr, one of Britain's greatest champions and boxing personalities, Junior grew up in the gym and entered the professional ranks with a heavy weight on his shoulders.
At 32-3, the younger Eubank has now successfully shed any comparison to his father and forged his own path forward, fighting as his own man. Holding multiple world titles at two weight divisions, Eubank has only ever been stopped by Smith in their first meeting. His two previous losses were decisions against George Groves and Billy Joe Saunders.
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the middleweight bout between Liam “Beefy” Smith and Chris “NextGen” Eubank Jr., returning to the AO Arena in Manchester, England after the shocking fourth round stoppage here back in January.