Who wins the rematch between Eubank and Smith?
Following the suspension of drug cheat Connor Benn, an unlikely name rose into the mix to face Eubank. Although their mutual opponent Liam Williams had recently been taken to school by Eubank, the Brighton man would have been under no illusion that Smith posed a serious threat.
During the pre-fight press conferences, he would turn up in KFC jackets, saying he only needed to be at 60% to beat the world champion from Liverpool. He did look ridiculous when Smith flattened him in the fourth round of their fight back in January.
Chris is a fantastic showman who has done well to sell the fight. There's no doubt he will do the same for the rematch. He's already started blaming the referee for an early stoppage despite many people thinking it should have been stopped earlier.
The First Fight
The general opinion going into the first bout was that Eubank and his team were underestimating Liam Smith – downplaying the chances of him being able to win, which the sports betting odds also reflected.
Smith's finish was as explosive as the type of action you can find at a Bitcoin casino, it had all the drama and unpredictability you can find in several casino games, and it had fans right on the edge of their seat like it was a high stakes game of poker or blackjack. Although some people thought Smith would turn it into a dogfight and come into it in the stretch, nobody picked him to decimate Eubank within the first 15 minutes of the fight.
Eubank has campaigned at a more considerable weight and hadn't been on the canvas before. He had gone the 12-round championship rounds with a concussive puncher at super-middleweight named George Groves, so the idea Smith could finish the fight so conclusively was a long shot.
However, that's precisely what he did; he backed Chris into a corner, dropped him heavily, and then dropped him again until the referee waved off the proceedings.
The Pedigree of Liam Smith
Smith has shared the ring with multiple legitimate world champions and held his own for nine rounds against Mexican megastar Canelo Alvarez. In addition, he has fought Russian world champions in Russia and undefeated Mexican protege Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas, going 12 rounds in both bouts. His toughness, grit, and ability to fight are unquestionable, and it's a surprise that so many people overlooked these attributes in the first fight.
How Does Eubank Win the Second Fight?
The ridiculous spectacle with disgraced Connor Benn has taken the wind out of Chris's sails. The fight was there to be made, and it would have sold incredibly well. If Benn hadn't failed his drug test and Smith hadn't destroyed Eubank, it could arguably be the most significant domestic bout.
However, that ship has sailed now, and Chris found himself humbled by Liam. He needs to prove to people that the first fight was a fluke, as he says it is, and that he can clinically defeat Liam, whether over the 12-round distance or by stoppage.
The first fight was one of the most comprehensive wins of Liam's career. It was a damning indictment for Eubank, who claimed consistently throughout the build-up that he was on another level, only to be left with his senses scrambled in the corner of the ring. Given that he continues to blame external factors instead of the fact that Liam was the better man on the night speaks volumes about his pride and ego and why he probably won't be victorious this time.
Conclusion
Liam Smith is entering the Indian summer of his career; his peers have criminally underrated him. Still, it looks as though he is now beginning to reap the rewards of a career of working hard, getting on with the job, and never shying away from any challenge.
He is a born fighter, like his siblings, and Smith is exceptionally durable, only ever stopped by a liver shot from Canelo. In many ways, it is reminiscent of the Tank vs Garcia fight. However, Tank Davis is the better all-around fighter from a tough inner-city and has that eye of the tiger who loves a dust-up.
Garcia is a product of a social media generation, and although he does show some flashes of brilliance, levels were shown that night. Unfortunately, Eubank seems more set on appearing on Gogglebox and fighting Connor Benn at a catchweight in Dubai than taking on a rough and ready domestic-level challenger who is one of the top-ranked names in the world.
Once we throw in that Eubank knows Smith can badly hurt him, something he would never have thought of going into the first fight, the whole dynamic of the bout changes. We can see this one playing out like Bellew-Haye 2, where a damaged fighter struggling with catch weights and a boxing identity loses to a fighter, he may not have a few years earlier.