Liam Smith sensationally knocked Chris Eubank Jr out in Manchester, ending a 34 fight run of not being seriously hurt, dropped, or stopped in the ring.
After a third round in which Eubank seemed to be finding his Roy Jones Jr-inspired rhythm, ‘Beefy’ turned up the heat in the fourth and landed some incredible power punches – the standout being an uppercut that rocked his opponent’s head on his shoulders.
Despite not being in attendance, boxing legend and Junior’s father, Chris Eubank Sr, was watching. Senior first sent a message of support to his son before the fight started.
“Good luck, Son. As I’ve always taught you, the harder you train, the luckier you become… You started your training camp 19 years ago, so to Liam Smith and your team… YOU’VE BEEN WARNED”
Good luck, Son.
As I’ve always taught you, the harder you train, the luckier you become…
You started your training camp 19 years ago, so to @Liambeefysmith and your team….YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/DyuQqcbDP9— Christopher Eubank (@ChrisEubank) January 21, 2023
To his credit, four rounds later, Chris congratulated ‘Beefy’ on his performance.
“Congratulations Liam Smith. I’ve never once seen Chris Jr even buckle in a fight, so big respect to you, your team and your future.”
Congratulations @liambeefysmith.
I’ve never once seen Chris Jr even buckle in a fight, so big relspect to you, your team and your future.🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/0onxaEFbE6— Christopher Eubank (@ChrisEubank) January 21, 2023
Many have said throughout his career that the best thing Eubank Jr had inherited from his father was his chin -but it failed him in Manchester and there are plenty who think 160lb just isn’t a realistic weight for the 33-year-old.
Having faced bigger men at 168lb like George Groves, the Brighton man makes no secret of his weight cuts. This time, it appears that dropping those extra pounds may have taken some punch resistance too.
The ever-confident Eubank has a rematch clause he can activate, and a tweet after the fight seemed to suggest he would. There should be official news on that in the not-so-distant future. At the same age, Senior had already hung up the gloves.