The return fight between Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Junior has been postponed, this due to Smith picking up an as yet undisclosed injury in training camp. Mike Coppinger broke the news, and reports say the injury is not too serious and that the fight, originally set for June 17, will now take place on July 1st.
As fans know, Smith, entering the ring as the betting underdog, stopped Eubank in the fourth round back in January. Eubank, who contests the stoppage, claiming it was both premature and, at least in part, due to an errant elbow that was thrown by Smith, had a rematch clause at his disposal and he activated it, hungry as Eubank is for revenge. Now, with the delay, Eubank – who really does have to win this fight or else – will have to w ait just a little longer before he gets his opportunity to even the score.
The co-feature, between women’s super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn defending against Savannah Marshall, is also expected to be moved to the new date, whatever it turns out to be. The card is a PPV offering to go out on Sky Sports, and there will now be some additional time in which to hype the two fights.
Smith-Eubank II does carry some intrigue, yet in truth it is a fight that is seen by plenty of fans as not being pay-per-view-worthy stuff. There are, as we all know, too many PPV offerings these days and a fan has to pick and choose carefully, being able to afford only a few PPV’s a year.
Is Smith-Eubank II a fight you really want to see, or will YOU pass this one by and save your dough for other, bigger, more exciting fights?
The dates of July 1 and July 8 are said to be likely for the postponed rematch, with the venue of the AO Arena in Manchester, the sight of the first fight, still to host the card.