A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Liam Smith – Who doesn’t like it when a disqualified fighter proves everyone wrong?
Smith has looked good in recent matches, including the knockout of Jessie Vargas last April. However, a meeting with Chris Eubank Jr. floating and naturally getting bigger at 160 pounds seems like a step too far. Smith, 34 years old and growing, will inevitably reveal his limitations.
Surprised, surprised.
Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) gave his fans – and himself – an unforgettable fourth inning on Saturday in the UK, one in which he injured Eubank heavy, knock him down twice and stop him at a time when most observers thought Liverpudlian’s career was on the decline.
Indeed, how many fighters have delivered their greatest victories between the ages of 30 and over 14 years into their professional careers?
Smith is suddenly a big player again, at £154 or £160 which could mean another title and more paydays. No wonder he and his team celebrated afterward as if he had become the undisputed middleweight champion.
Of course, Smith’s momentum could end in his next bout, whether it’s a rematch with Eubank or a meeting with another top 160 or 154-pound boxer. After all, he’s still the same boxer who has decisively lost to Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia and, more recently, has lost to Magomed Kurbanov.
No matter what happens in the future, he will always have a special night on January 21, 2023 at AO Arena. It was quite a long moment.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Chris Eubank Jr. – A climactic showdown with Conor Benn failed after Benn failed a drug test but meeting with Smith would be a nice stepping stone to achieving bigger and better things for Eubank talent. Correct?
Then disaster struck.
Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs) boxed well over three innings, using his stab and stick and move tactics to frustrate the slower, less talented Smith. The son of the former world champion of the same name presided over the match. Then, in a split second, he was injured, unable to recover, and it was all over.
Knockout occurs. Eubank could justifiably say he was arrested for a good one (or more) shots, which could happen to anyone. Real. At the same time, such losses have ramifications.
Eubank has had periods of inactivity but he is growing, with six straight wins after a decisive loss to then-belt holder George Groves at 168 pounds in 2018. It is said a win over Smith would lead to a title match against Gennadiy Golovkin.
All of that was gone in the stunning Round 4 against Smith, who brutally proved that Eubank’s chin wasn’t quite as good as everyone had thought.
So what now? Well, a win in the rematch would be a long way for him to regain what was lost. Of course, there is no guarantee that a second war will happen and Eubank will win if it does.
Indeed, Eubanks’ future as an elite boxer was suddenly uncertain.
TRIAL DOLL
A rematch clause in their contract forced Smith to give Eubank a second fight if the latter wanted. I hope it doesn’t happen. First, victory could not be more decisive, which means that the second war is really not guaranteed. It was a brutal stop. And, second, I’d like to see Smith, the former 154-pound champion, win another spot for the main belt. Smith versus owner Golovkin will be an intriguing matchup. … David Stevens (12-0.9 KO) saved his best in the final against his super average compatriot Sean Hemphill (14-1, 8 KOs) on Friday on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” The two engaged in a competitive back-and-forth when, in the final seconds of the match, Hemphill was injured by a left-right combination and then collapsed under a series of subsequent shots. . He was able to get up but went down again under another impact, stopping the match with just two seconds remaining. That’s what you call taking advantage of an important opportunity on national television. …
Josh Taylor is believed to have injured his leg in training, which has led to the postponement of his scheduled March 4 rematch with Jack Catterall. This is the second time the war has been repulsed. The rematch was originally set for December but was postponed after Taylor injured her knee. Will Taylor ever get back what he had a few years ago? He almost passed Catterall last February. … I am so sorry to hear of the passing of the former heavyweight boxer Gerrie Coatzee at the age of 67 on January 12 in his native South Africa. He is a solid warrior and a good man. He spoke out against the apartheid regime at a time when not many prominent athletes did, which has won the admiration of leader Nelson Mandela and many others. I was lucky enough to meet him when he was promoting games for a while in my old neighborhood, the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles in the 90s. I remember a soft-spoken gentleman. and treat people well. He will be ignored.
