Liam Smith Dreading The Repercussions of a Loss to Chris Eubank
Barreling into his latest prizefight, it is beginning to sound like there are seeds of doubt in the mind of middleweight fighter Liam “Beefy” Smith’s (32-3-1, 19 KO’s). In that contest, on January 21, he will meet the challenge of Chris Eubank Jr (32-2, 23 KO’s) under the hot lights of the Manchester Arena. Despite selling his fair share of woof tickets, as reported by the Daily Mail, the former WBO super welterweight champion admitted fearing his brothers will stage an intervention to urge him to retire should he lose the fight.
“That’s what I dread most of all. We did that with Paul. He lost to an opponent who would never have beaten him even a few months earlier, so we sat him down and asked him to give real thought about what would be best for his future. We are all very supportive of each other. That has been a big factor in our success. That is a bond of strength which Eubank doesn’t have.”
YOU STAYING OR GOING?!
While the support of one’s family can be an energizing source of motivation for a fighter, it rings as somewhat troubling that Smith is legitimately preoccupied with thoughts of not only losing but retiring. It’s a bit more dubious when one considers that Beefy is actually riding a three-fight win streak since last being toppled by Magomed Kurbanov in May of 2021. Granted, none of those three fighters, Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas or Hassan Mwakinyo, were setting the world on fire.
Nevertheless, one would not think that this topic would be among his talking points. Currently, at super welterweight, Smith is ranked #2 (WBO), #3 (WBC), #4 (WBA) and #5 (IBF). It will be interesting to see how Smith fairs in the contest with Eubank Jr, who is ranked #2 (WBO), #2 (WBC) and #5 (WBA) at middleweight. The duel with Eubank Jr will be his first foray into the 160-pound division since his bout with Robert Garcia in 2019.
If he prevails, then naturally we can expect to see Beefy soldier on with his professional career. Should he come up on the wrong side of victory however, no one should be shocked if the seasoned boxer decides to hang the gloves up. No matter how the situation resolves itself though, 3Kings Boxing will be here to report the news!
By: Bakari Simpson
