By Charles Brun: Chris Eubank Jr. will be at the last chance saloon tonight, with his career on the line in his rematch with favorite Liam Smith at the AO Arena in Manchester.
If Eubank Jr. loses tonight, his chances of getting the big-money fights against local lads Conor Benn & Kell Brook would be down the drain.
That’s pretty much all Eubank Jr. has to hope for if he wins tonight because he doesn’t possess the talent to beat any of the world champions at middleweight, and certainly not at 168.
Eubank Jr is what he is. He is a domestic-level fighter who has been able to stand on the shoulders of his famous dad to earn a good living without beating anyone of great talent.
It’s possible that Eubank Jr. could lose his promotional contract and be jettisoned. It’s unlikely that any of the major promoters would want to sign Eubank Jr. if he loses to Liam again, and he would be forced to retire.
The 33-year-old Eubank Jr’s career is hanging by a thread, and this could be it for him if he suffers another knockout loss. He desperately needs a win to get his career back to where it was before he was obliterated by Smith last January.
Chris should have taken a few confidence-building fights with his new trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, before taking the rematch with Smith, but pride & the lure of money were too much to hold off.
With a reported net worth of $6 million, Eubank Jr. won’t suffer in his retirement. That’s a lot of dough for a fringe-level fighter who has never won a world title or beaten anyone of note during his twelve-year professional career.
Eubank Jr. (32-3, 20 KOs) was exposed by the more proven Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) last time out, getting blown out in four rounds and not looking like a world-level fighter.
Even if Eubank Jr. does win tonight, does he have a real chance of beating any of these middleweight champions?
- Janibek Alimkhanuly
- Erislandy Lara
- Jermall Charlo
- Vincenzo Gualtieri
- Carlos Adames
Are there residual effects from the knockout?
“You think all that cute stuff [from Eubank Jr.] is going to throw him off? He’s just going to stick with it. He’s going to keep his nose to the ground and keep working you until he gets his way, which in the first fight came earlier than expected,” said Paulie Malignaggi to BOXXER on tonight’s Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. rematch.
“I think Eubank is the more talented guy, but does he have the consistency to get through it this time? Smith got through to him the first time. Eubank is more talented, but can he deal with it?
“Smith has the resume, the consistency, and Smith has the mentality that he’s knocked him out the first time. Can you focus for three minutes of every round? Smith picks up steam as you go along in each and every round.
“You have a guy [Smith] that has the confidence. He got to you last time. With Eubank, are there any residual effects from the last knockout? Is he going to be thinking about that when he gets in the ring?”
