Smith Promising Another Stoppage in Rematch With Eubank Jr
Bitter British rivals Liam “Beefy” Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) and Chris Eubank Jr (32-3, 23 KOs) will fight in a rematch on September 2 at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. The fight will air live on Sky Sports pay-per-view.
IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING
They previously fought on January 21 at the AO Arena. That evening, *Smith surprised many experts by winning by a fourth-round stoppage (Hyperlink1). After Eubank Jr activated a rematch clause, Smith – Eubank Jr II was set for June 17, then was pushed back to July 1. However, it was postponed when Smith injured himself during training. After extensive rehab, Beefy is fully healthy and ready to fight.
Despite activating the rematch, there was some suspicion that the fight would happen. Rumors persisted that Eubank Jr contemplated revisiting a postponed canceled fight with Conor Benn.
Smith is a former WBO junior middleweight champion. *Before his first fight with Eubank Jr, the 33 year-old was contemplating retirement. But now, his career has been resurrected.
Beefy is currently ranked second by the WBO at 160 and is in line for a possible world title shot against reigning WBO 160-pound champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. After the announcement of the upcoming rematch with Eubank Jr, Beefy posted the following on social media.
PLENTY OF BAD BLOOD
Eubank Jr has been a high-profile figure in Great Britain since the beginning of his professional career. The loss to Smith was a big setback. Now, Eubank Jr is hungry to get revenge.
The lead-up to their first fight was full of personal insults. Smith questioned Eubank Jr’s sexuality while the latter took shots at Smith’s marriage. Tensions will be just as high once again. Smith is confident of winning again inside the distance. Eubank Jr insists he will take care of business this time around.
