With the news that Chris Eubank Jr has officially activated his rematch clause to face Liam Smith for a second time, talk has quickly turned to how things will play out.
Smith bruised the ego – and the eye – of Eubank in their January contest by handing him his first ever stoppage defeat.
Much was made in the run up to the fight about Eubank’s ability to take a shot and continue undeterred, which is why the conclusion of the fight had so many in shock.
Whilst some in the sport advised Eubank to skip the second fight and pursue other routes in the sport, others felt that he had no option but to attempt to avenge the defeat. That’s what he will do.
TalkSPORT’s Michael Benson reported that William Hill opened with Eubank as a slight favourite for the second fight, and fans were quick to claim ‘easy money.’
Chris Eubank Jr has opened as a slight betting favourite with William Hill for the Liam Smith rematch, despite his knockout defeat in their first fight. Eubank Jr priced at 4/5 (-130) with Smith at 1/1 evens (+100).
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 15, 2023
Fans commented in shock that Smith is currently the underdog; ‘Ridiculous he was favourite in the first fight let alone this‘, ‘can’t wait to put the house on smith‘, ‘Free money chaps‘ and ‘Easiest bet of my life‘.
Of course, how the odds will be affected going forward depends on the betting volume and certain factors in the fight build up – at the moment the weight for the contest is unclear, especially if both fighters are content at 160lb. Much was made about Eubank’s seeming inability to cope with the cut to that number, and certainly anything underneatch.
Still, fans are largely confident of a Smith win again. One claimed that it was ‘ridiculous’ that Eubank was favourite even in their first bout, whilst another recalled George Groves being the underdog before he faced and beat the Brighton man.
The vast majority called the odds an opportunity for ‘free money’, and it can be expected that punters will be lumping on a fair bit for Smith to do the same again.