Former WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr will meet on September 2nd in a twelve-round rematch at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Eubank Jr (32-3, 23 KOs) gets a second chance to save his career by looking to avenge his fourth round knockout loss suffered against Liam Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) last January.
The 33-year-old Eubank Jr feels that referee Victor Loughlin prematurely stopped the contest when he pulled the plug on the bout after Chris Jr got to his feet following the second knockdown.
Eubank Jr would have been knocked out clinically if Loughlin didn’t stop it when he did, but by blaming the referee, Chris Jr has enough boxing fans willing to believe this to make a rematch with Liam viable.
It’ll be interesting to see if Eubank Jr will do any better than he did in the first fight because he’s not skilled enough. If Eubank Jr loses the rematch, it would be a good time for him to retire.
“It’s announced now. I’m happy you know we’ve got the day finalized, and it can be announced now we’ve got something to go ahead with,” said Liam Smith to Sky Sports on his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr on September 2nd.
“I’m fully healed up, and now I’m back in the gym full time. September the seconds is not too far away. So I’m looking forward to it, and like I said before, I’m looking forward to scratching that itch.
“I think that’s typical, Chris. I think this is the only man, including his own team, that believed the referee was at fault for that stoppage.
“I think the fight could have been stopped in the face knockdown, and nobody would have had any complaints, but I think because Chris activated the rematch clause, he has to come up with some sort of excuse for what happened in the first fight.
“He can think a lot of things, but he’s got to come and prove it. He’s got a point to prove to a lot of people, and he’s got to himself because he’s got to change the outcome of that first fight.
“I’m massively confident it’ll be the same outcome again, as long as the Liam Smith of old turns up. I’ll beat him, and I’ll beat him well.
“My back injury, and that’s about it,” said Liam when asked what would stop the Liam Smith of old from showing up on September 2nd.
“As long as I’m healed that I’ve got a good team around me and I’ve got a good family helping. My brothers make sure I train properly. They make sure I’m on it.
“I train well behind closed doors, and I feel if I do that properly again, we’ll get the same outcome. I feel I’m a better fighter than Chris Eubank Jr.
