Chris Eubank Jr won every round in his rematch with Liam Smith before forcing the finish in the tenth round.
Following his fourth round stoppage win over Eubank in January of this year at the very same venue, Smith was tied into a rematch as per the contract.
It wasn’t the loss that cast doubt over Eubank’s fighting future, but the nature of it. He now competes as someone who has been badly hurt and stopped, his previously praised ‘granite chin’ no longer something he can dine out on.
It also meant that Smith and his team entered the Manchester Arena double confident of the same outcome this time around, regardless of Eubank’s decision to lose Roy Jones Jr and add Terence Crawford’s trainer, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre to his corner.
Both men met in the centre of the ring to start round one. Eubank stepped in with quick hands and landed the cleaner shots amongst plenty of clinching from both. A messy affair to kick it off. Smith rolled both ankles as if to stretch them out and didn’t look quick as mobile as usual.
More wrestling to start the second before a good combination from Eubank, who had the far quicker hands. Smith landed a couple in close and they swapped jabs. Eubank pushed an off-balance Smith over on the bell. No knockdown.
Eubank broke Smith’s tight guard with an uppercut in the third, and found the same success entering the final minute. The much busier man at this stage and building a lead on the cards.
He started the fourth with a clean, sharp combination and dropped Smith with a perfectly timed uppercut. His gum-shield came out and the corner took a long time to put it back in. The Liverpool man’s legs weren’t entirely beneath him when the action continued. Eubank’s big shots were full of spite, and Smith did well to stay standing from a left hook. The man looking for revenge was struggling to miss. Huge round in his favour.
Round five was an onslaught from the off, with Smith throwing absolutely zero in return but managing to dodge some of the biggest swings from Eubank. Not dissimilar to the stoppage in the first fight but with roles reversed. Smith eventually got hold and turned himself out of immediate danger. He managed a couple of scoring shots of his own as Eubank slowed after an extreme amount of energy expelled.
Eubank’s uppercut was the shot of the night at the halfway stage, but his stiff jab was a real factor too. A bit busier from Smith in the sixth, but clearer signs that a leg or ankle injury was in play.
The Brighton man was sticking to BoMac’s gameplan well, not getting carried away but controlling the action clearly. Jabs and uppercuts landing easy to end the seventh, Smith continuing to search for a showstopper.
Slower in the eighth, and continued smart work from Eubank who wasn’t for making a mistake against a brave but laboured Smith. There was nothing but a number of knockdowns or a knockout for him to win entering the ninth.
But Eubank was bursting with confidence at this stage – impressive regardless of Smith’s performance or potential injury given the nature of the first fight.
A big left in the tenth sent Smith backwards and opened a cut underneath his eye. Eubank unloaded on the ropes and Smith was down. He stood for the count valiantly, but was shelling up and taking punishment quickly.
The referee stepped in and it was all over. A stellar performance from Eubank Jr. Revenge in Manchester in the very same ring. News of an injury will come out post-fight, but incredible work from the winner regardless.
He stood on the ropes and threw the towel he said he wouldn’t need into the crowd.