Liam Smith waited a long time to give his best performance.
The 34-year-old former middleweight boxer stunned the boxing world by knocking out Chris Eubank Jr. in the fourth round on Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.
Smith knocked out his English compatriot twice, after which the latter was unable to continue. The official stoppage time is 1:09 of the 4th half.
Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) is considered the better boxer, hotter, and naturally bigger man, as Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) moves to middleweight for match.
LIAM SMITH Defeats CHRIS EUBANK IN ROUND 4 pic.twitter.com/O2laPCZ55D
– Phil McCrackin (@fugmaNuts) January 21, 2023
Therefore, Eubank was favored to win. And he performed like that for more than three rounds, fighting after his jab and using stick and move tactics to frustrate the slower Smith.
Then, in the fourth half, the match took place with dramatic stoppage time. Smith locked Eubank in a corner and unleashed a barrage of powerful shots, at least one of which sent him to the ground and severely injured him.
Eubank, who was never stopped, rose to his feet but was clearly unsteady as Smith swung his fist excitedly as he backed away to a neutral corner. Referee Victor Loughlin would have been right to stop the game at that moment.
Loughlin eventually gave Eubank another chance, but shortly after the action resumed, Smith knocked Eubank down again, which prompted Loughlin to save him from further punishment.
Smith said: “I’ve been telling you all week, don’t be surprised if I stop him. “I don’t know if it was the accumulation of many hits or that one punch. If Chris wants a rematch, I’ll do it.”
Just like that, Smith, who lost major fights to Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia, had a decisive win that put him in a heavy title competition in the 154 or 160 pound when almost everyone Everyone thinks his career is going downhill.
And, yes, a rematch clause in the contract signed by both boxers could lead to a second fight, perhaps immediately. If that happens, you can bet no one will underestimate Liverpudlian.
