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Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith Rematch June 17
Repeat or revenge?
That is the question set to be answered on Saturday, June 17
when bitter rivals Chris Eubank Junior and Liam Smith return
to Manchester’s AO Arena in a high-stakes rematch presented
by BOXXER, in association with Wasserman Boxing – and live
on Sky Sports Box Office.
Months of build-up and high tensions in fight week set the
stage for a classic encounter in January, with 20,000 fans
inside the sold-out Manchester Arena joined by a huge
television audience which set a new domestic pay-per-view
record for the weight class.
With both fighters eager for a definitive finish, there was
little in the way of a feeling-out process. Heavy leather
was traded from the opening bell - and it was all over
twelve minutes later, the referee stepping in front of
Eubank Jnr to wave the fight off in the fourth round.
The result did little to settle tensions between the two men
and they rose further with speculation that one of the
knockdowns had been the result of an illegal elbow strike.
On June 17, that friction will intensify as both men return
to the Manchester Arena for a clash which will change the
course of their careers.
For Eubank (32-3, 23 KO’s), victory means redemption and
will put him back on track for showdowns with elite names on
the world stage.
Chris Eubank Jr said: "Liam had the night of his life
against me in January, the stars aligned for him in
Manchester, and he went away with a big win.
"But lightning doesn't strike twice. If he even has the
slightest thought that he can beat me again, then great,
because it will be his undoing."
For former WBO champion Smith (33-3-1, 20 KO’s), a second
win will stamp his authority on the domestic division and
set the stage for huge future world title opportunities.
Liam Smith said: “I know he tried his best to go a different
route but the fight is on now and I am looking forward to
hearing what he has to say for himself in the build up.
Let's see what angle he comes with this time.
“He can't come with angles about how he's never been hurt,
he's never been dropped, he's never been stopped, because he
just had all three of those things happen to him in one
night and it was me who did it to him. So I'm interested to
see what he comes with this time and I'm also interested to
see where he goes after I beat him again on June 17th."
Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland, said:
“Hell hath no fury like a Eubank scorned and there was no
chance Chris was going to let this one lie. He's a wounded
animal and this makes him extremely dangerous. No sooner had
the fight finished, then Chris made it clear that he wanted
to trigger the rematch clause and on June 17, he gets his
shot at revenge. Smith, you have been warned. Beast mode is
on!”
Ben Shalom, BOXXER Founder and CEO, said: “There are moments
in this business where you have goosebumps, your stomach is
churning and the atmosphere is so intense you’re almost
shaking. That’s what Smith vs Eubank Jr was like. The
atmosphere in that arena was unbelievable. There was an
absolute wall of noise when both fighters walked out and it
didn’t stop until well after the final bell. The rematch
will take all of that to a whole new level.
“For Liam Smith a second win - especially by stoppage - will
underline that he is a world-level contender who will be
threatening some of the division’s belt holders next. And
for Eubank his future is almost certainly on the line. It’s
incredibly bold of him to take the rematch in the North-West
again, in an area which is set to be full again with
thousands of Smith’s fans.”
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