‘I told you all week’: Liam Smith insists his knockout win over Chris Eubank Jr shouldn’t surprise anyone as the veteran agrees to a rematch ‘on my terms’… as Eubank Jr names Anfield as a possible location and says ‘we’ll get it on again soon’
Liam Smith insists his stoppage victory over Chris Eubank Jr should come as no surprise having repeatedly predicted a convincing victory leading up to the fight.
The veteran Liverpudlian, 34, stunned a jubilant Manchester crowd as he knocked Eubank Jr to the canvas twice in round four, before referee Victor Loughlin rightly waved the fight off.
Smith came into the fight as the underdog, despite formerly reigning as a super-welterweight world champion, but it’s he who now progresses towards the middleweight elites.
Liam Smith insists his stunning knockout win over Chris Eubank Jr should not be a surprise
The Liverpudlian knocked Eubank Jr down twice in the fourth round before it was waved off
Smith, speaking on Sky Sports following his victory, insisted Eubank Jr, even with his reputation of having a great chin, was always in danger of being knocked out.
‘I don’t know if it was one shot or an accumulation, but I told you all week,’ Smith said of his stoppage victory.
‘A lot got made of Chris’ great chin. I’ve got a great chin, but there’s many fighters with better chins who have been knocked out in the past.
‘I told you all week, don’t be surprised, nobody can not be hurt.’
Promoter Ben Shalom after the fight revealed a rematch clause is in place, should Eubank Jr decide to activate it following his first-ever stoppage defeat.
The 33-year-old still has unfinished business with Conor Benn, following the cancellation of their 2022 clash after ‘The Destroyer’ failed two drugs tests.
Eubank Jr has the option of activating a rematch clause – which he says he intends to do
Benn has since maintained his innocence and is imploring the WBC to clear him of any wrongdoing, while Eubank Jr – as he told Sportsmail in the build-up to the fight – says it’s a fight that still interests him.
Smith insisted that he would be open to a rematch should Eubank Jr decide to go down that route, however.
‘Look, if Chris wants the rematch then by all means, but the rematch is on my terms,’ he stated. ‘We might even do 158 or 157lbs if he wants.’
Eubank Jr embraced Smith during the Liverpudlian’s post-fight interview, briefly interjecting to state he would be interested in a rematch.
Eubank Jr and Smith embraced after the fight after what was a personal build-up between the pair
‘Big congratulations to him. He caught me with a great shot,’ Eubank Jr said. ‘The build-up was the build-up, it got a bit ugly at the end. I regretted that. I respect you, I respect your family, I always have.
‘If the fans want to see a rematch, we can get it on at Anfield. Big respect, man.’
Eubank Jr later took to social media to once again congratulate Smith and confirm his intention to activate the rematch clause.
‘Congratulations to Liam tonight, nice lil shot you caught me with there my boy,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘Felt like I could of kept going but referee is in charge and I respect his decision. We’ll get it on again soon.’
