George Groves’ reflections on Chris Eubank’s knockout defeat at the hands of Liam Smith is a reminder of how important family bonds in boxing can be.
Smith upset the odds by producing a devastating fourth round KO of the ever-confident Eubank, who tried his best to fight on but was clearly out on his feet.
Groves – who defeated Eubank in 2018 via unanimous decision at the super middleweight limit – was in attendance at the event, and pointed to the 160lb weight as a potential factor in the fight.
Via Boxing UK, He advised his former opponent not to take the rematch that was written into his contract, and mused on how he faced a fighting family in the Smiths without his father or late brother in his own corner.
“If I was Eubank, I wouldn’t take that fight. I don’t think that’s the right fight for him. I’m not sure if getting down to 160 is the right thing for him. He looks super tight at the weight. He looks like his punch resistance ain’t quite the same. He looked a little bit flatter.
Maybe at this stage he might go away and evaluate his career. Sad for Eubank, you know – he was a part of my career cause I had him in sparring and obviously we boxed, and he always had his dad around.
His dad’s not around at the moment, which is sad. He tragically lost his brother who I know he was close to … so he fought the Smith family tonight, and it felt like he was all on his own.
I hope he can find peace with the result, but a rematch, for me, wouldn’t be the ring thing for Eubank Jr.”
Sebastian Eubank tragically passed away in 2021, and has been a source of deep sadness as well as motivation for Chris.
Groves’ words encourage reflection on the Brighton fighter’s part, and fans will hope he takes the advice before making any decisions about the rematch or future plans.