Smith Unbelievably Stops Eubank In 4 Rounds

Smith Unbelievably Stops Eubank In 4 Rounds

Criminally underrated throughout his career, and criminally and stupidly written off before the fight, Liam Smith upset all the odds to sensationally stop the favoured and bigger Chris Eubank Jr. in 4 rounds at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night.

It was a remarkable victory in many ways. Smith had a terrible 3rd round where he remained stationary for too long, and Eubank took advantage, landing thudding heavy shots against an opponent who wouldn’t or couldn’t move out of the way of them, punches that threatened to turn the tide of the fight definitively in his favour.

But in simply unbelievable scenes, Smith found the punches he needed to end the fight in the manner that nobody saw coming. Trust me, nobody saw that coming. Nobody.

Eubank was dropped heavily in his own corner in the 4th as Smith battered him to the floor and was given the benefit of the doubt as he rose unsteadily to his feet after suffering the first knockdown of his career and tried to find his senses from a fight that has suddenly and unexpectedly turned against him when he seemed on his way to victory in the previous round. Eubank was allowed to carry on when perhaps he shouldn’t have, but Smith knew he had his man and didn’t waste his chance. In some of the most raucous scenes I have ever witnessed from ringside, the Liverpool fighter finished the fight and set off the wild celebrations from his vocal faithful who thankfully came to party nothing else. It was raw, powerful, poetic, and the type of drama only the fight game can provide.

Smith needed a good start, and he got one taking the opening round on my card, and even though I had Eubank edging the 2nd round, Smith had the look of a fighter who knew something we didn’t. Eubank always likes to set the tempo and fight at his pace, but Smith already was doing enough work to make Eubank distinctly uncomfortable.

But Eubank had such a good 3rd round, that victory seemed assured and his size and power looked to be his key to victory. But any momentum he had was ripped away from him in the next three minutes that might have practically ended a career and saved another.

There is a rematch clause, but it seems one of those pointless clauses where nothing much changes in the return. But if Anfield awaits, Smith will get his fairytale homecoming on the hallowed turf of his beloved football club. And it is nothing more than what he deserves. And has earned. The unsung hero, is now simply, the hero.

For Eubank, a rematch is quite simply all he has. Any thoughts of rekindling that old family rivalry and resurrecting the fight that fell away last October are now dead in the water. Conor Benn will have seen one possible fight for his seemingly inevitable return disappear at the fists of Smith, and Social Media speculating what he would have done to Eubank. But the question should be, what would Smith do to him.

Eubank might now have one foot out of the door, and a career that never really delivered on all the hype it had looks to have been damaged beyond repair. A good fighter, but he could have been a better one. His prime wasted by his own ego. Smith was better technically. In truth, he was just better.

But regardless of the uncertain future for Eubank, the night belonged to Smith, and finally, he should get the recognition that has alluded him throughout his career despite his many achievements. It wasn’t a fight about fake baubles, it was for much more than that. It was all or nothing for Smith, make no mistake about that, and now Smith has it all. Eubank or not, he has many options. Defeat would have left him with only one. Retirement. The brutality of his victory means he gets to go again, and he can now demand a higher rate for his services.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer