Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith is a great domestic match up between two skilled fighters.
Despite many in the sport believing it’s a pick ’em scenario, Eubank Jr is on record as saying that he only needs to perform at 50% to beat Smith.
Whilst most recognise it as mind games the same as those played in the lead up to the now-cancelled Conor Benn fight, one part of the contract is dampening his efforts to get into Smith’s head.
It’s been revealed that, should Eubank lose, he has a rematch option that will be his choice to activate. Smith, perhaps rightfully so, has used this to claim that the fighter from Brighton isn’t as confident as he makes out in front of the cameras.
Eubank told Sky Sports that the contract stipulation ‘means nothing.’
“Oh my God – you’re not doing the rematch clause talking as well are you? Listen, that Liam talk is terrible talk before a fight. Don’t get sucked in to all of that.
A rematch clause means absolutely nothing. It’s part of the business. In every big fight there’s always rematch clauses. My promoter put that in just because that’s what promoters do – they make sure that they cover all bases.”
“He wants to use that as a thing to say ‘well if I’m going to be so easy why would you have a rematch clause?’ Take the rematch clause out if it makes you happy.
I don’t care about that, it’s completely irrelevant. On January 21st, Sky Sports Box Office, Liam Smith is going to get a serious lesson.”
The pair meet at a very important stage of their careers, and a win for either would put them in good standing for a world title shot.
Whilst Eubank has his rematch option if he finds himself tasting defeat in January, in the other corner Smith has claimed that it would be an extremely hard loss for him to take because of ‘the type of person’ Eubank is.
The fight takes place at Manchester’s AO Arena and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office.