Ringside Report: It's revenge for Eubank, as he stops Smith in Round Ten
By Matt Elliott
They say revenge is a dish best-served cold. Well, last night, Chris Eubank Jr. served it red hot, as he avenged his January defeat to Liam Smith in devastating fashion, winning by stoppage in the tenth round and putting on one of his best career performances in the process.
During the post-fight press conference, Smith confirmed his preparation for the fight had been less than ideal. A back injury, which resulted in the fight being delayed a few weeks, had impacted his training schedule and resulted in a need to cut weight more drastically. He also confirmed a rolled ankle during round one, which had appeared to limit his movement, but these appeared honest answers to questions asked, rather than excuses as to why he lost the fight, with Smith admitting Eubank was simply the better man on the night.
In a cauldron of noise, both fighters took to the ring. Eubank looked his usual confident self as he cupped his ears to the cacophony of boos, whilst Smith soaked in the atmosphere of a crowd that was heavily stacked in his favour. When the introductions were done and the first bell rang, it was a scrappy start to affairs, with a first round in which both men spent more time holding than punching, resulting in referee Kevin Parker having to interject on more than one occasion. From round two though, Eubank slowly took control of the fight, using his left jab to great effect and throwing the right uppercut, a shot which had given him his only success in the first fight, and this time it left Smith unable to avoid its accuracy as it hit the target on repeated occasions.
It was, therefore, no surprise that it was that exact shot that sent Smith to the canvas in round four. He got straight back up but was visibly shaken, and had it not been for his gumshield coming out, and a tactical ploy by his corner to delay putting it back in, it could have all ended there and then. Instead, he recovered to hear the bell.
Eubank came flying out of his corner in the fifth, backing Smith up against the ropes and unleashing a barrage of shots as the Liverpool man desperately tried to hold on. He again got through the moment, using all of his experience, and regained his composure as Eubank tired from his earlier endeavours.
Rounds seven and eight were quieter as Eubank sat back behind his jab and conserved his energy. Smith mustered the odd counter, but there was little to concern his opponent. Right at the end of the eighth, Eubank landed a big body shot and followed this with another uppercut. The bell couldn't come quickly enough for Smith, who walked disconsolately back to his corner.
At this point, there must have been considerations from the Smith corner about pulling their man out, although they were unlikely to ever do so. In round ten, they were saved from making such a decision. Eubank put Smith down again after backing him up on the ropes and throwing a combination of shots that Smith eventually wilted from. He beat the count, but Eubank jumped straight back on the attack, and with nothing coming back, Kevin Parker stepped in. The revenge mission was complete.
In the aftermath, Eubank's attention turned to possible fights with Gennadiy Golovkin and, of course, the fight that won't go away, Conor Benn. If Eubank can maintain that type of performance though, perhaps he would be better served targeting one of the current middleweight champions, and the one thing that has alluded him in his career to date; a world title.
Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer
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