Chris Eubank Jr put the the stuffing on hold this year to spar in a Santa hat – and his opponent believes it to be yet another contradiction.
The pair meet in the ring in Manchester on January 21, meaning training camp cuts right through Christmas. Eubank refused to even take a day off from sparring.
He told Sky Sports why he was in the gym on the 25th – one of the reasons being a nod to Smith’s previous claim that he could be hurt to the body.
“It is Christmas Day – as you can see I’ve got the hat on – but we’ve got a big fight against Liam Smith on January 21st, so I’ve got to stay in the gym. We’re going to be doing eight rounds of body sparring today.
There’s a lot of reasons why I’m only doing body punches. One is because I can’t send these guys home to their families on Christmas Day with black eyes, it’s just not cricket. Two, I’ve got a big Christmas dinner coming up later on, so I’ve got to cut some weight before I put on those pounds.
And lastly, Liam Smith has gone on record saying that he actually nearly dropped me with a body shot a couple of years ago when we sparred. I don’t remember that, but just in case it’s true I’ve got to make sure my stomach area is in tip top shape.”
Smith saw the footage and an opportunity to point out what he sees as a flaw in Eubank’s bravado. The fighter from Brighton has said that he only needs to perform at 50% to win.
The Liverpool man reckons that doesn’t add up with the relentless training.
“The same stupid c**t said he won’t give up nothing for Christmas for me, but is in the gym Christmas Day “SPARRING.””
The same stupid cunt said he won’t give up nothing for Christmas for me, but is in the gym Christmas Day “SPARRING” https://t.co/WCUa9gDOw3
— Liam Smith (@LiamBeefySmith) December 25, 2022
The Sky Sports Box Office event will be BOXXER’s first pay-per-view effort of the year, and will have some big names on the undercard including former heavyweight champion, Joseph Parker.