British middleweights Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith faced off for the second time this year, with their first match occurring on January 21st, resulting in Smith’s victory by stoppage in just four rounds. Their rematch took place on Saturday, September 2nd, at the Manchester Arena, the same location as their previous encounter.
In the main event, Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KO’s) fought against Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KO’s) at 160 lbs. This rematch contrasted sharply with their first bout, as Eubank Jr. took the lead in activity during the earlier rounds. Smith’s defensive shortcomings became apparent as Eubank Jr. pressured him, despite occasionally being on the backfoot.
Liam Smith seemed to lack the intensity he had in their first fight, throwing fewer punches but still putting up a fight. In contrast, Eubank Jr. displayed accuracy in his punches, landing a crucial right body shot in the fourth round that knocked Smith down. From that point on, Eubank Jr. dominated, landing numerous punches on Smith over the course of the next rounds.
Although Eubank Jr. didn’t score another knockdown in the fifth round, it was a round particularly damaging for Smith, as Eubank Jr. delivered a flurry of combinations and dangerous uppercuts. Smith displayed toughness by enduring this onslaught.
However, it was clear that Eubank Jr. had taken control, and Smith’s performance in the following rounds was more about survival than winning. In the tenth round, Eubank Jr. dropped Smith with a combination, and the referee stopped the fight shortly after. Eubank Jr. won by technical knockout, avenging his earlier loss to Liam Smith.
Another noteworthy match featured heavyweight fighters Frazer Clarke (8-0, 6 KO’s) and David Allen (21-6-2, 18 KO’s). Despite Clarke dominating the fight and winning most rounds, there was controversy in the sixth round when Clarke was deducted two points for consecutive low blows on Allen. It appeared that Allen might have been attempting to throw the fight.
The match wasn’t entertaining solely because of the fighters’ performance but also due to the antics of both fighters, especially Allen. Clarke won as Allen quit in his corner after the sixth round, citing a perforated eardrum. The referee declared Clarke the winner by referee technical decision (RTD).
WBC interim lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer (19-1, 15 KO’s) fought against Italian fighter Silvia Bortot (11-3-1, 3 KO’s) and won easily over ten rounds, with the referee scoring the fight 100-90 in Mayer’s favor. Notably, the WBC interim title was not on the line in this fight, as it took place at super lightweight instead of the expected 135 lbs.
British super lightweight prospect Adam Azim (9-0, 6 KO’s) maintained his unbeaten record by defeating Ukrainian opponent Aram Faniian (23-2, 5 KO’s) via unanimous decision. Faniian proved to be a tough competitor, but Azim dominated the fight.
An upset occurred in the super middleweight match between domestic rivals Mark Heffron (29-3-1, 23 KO’s) and Jack Cullen (22-4-1, 10 KO’s). Cullen stopped Heffron in the third round, surprising many given that both fighters were considered to be at the same level. This victory elevated Cullen’s standing in the division, and also earned him the British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles; both of which had belonged to Heffron.
Chris Eubank Jr.’s victory demonstrates the unpredictable nature of boxing, where fighters can make remarkable comebacks even after a significant loss.
Eubank Jr. now has various opportunities open to him, including a potential fight with Conor Benn, although it was postponed due to a drug test issue. He could also consider moving to middleweight (160 lbs) to face fighters like Janibek Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KO’s). However, Eubank Jr. expressed his interest in fighting Gennady Golovkin, although Golovkin has vacated his titles over the past year following his last trilogy fight with Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KO’s) in September 2022.
