Chris Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) still has an opponent. Chris will box against Liam Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) to replace Conor Benn, who is due at the end of 2022. Definitely not as loud a competitor as the previous one. But that certainly doesn’t make it worse.

Chris starts the year with a good fight but is aiming for the title fights. Including against Gennady Golovkin, whom he’s been chasing for a year.

Eubank was supposed to box against Benn. But Conor ruined a potential mega-fight.

In the USA, Chris Eubank Jr. The fight between him and Conor Benn was hardly talked about. In general, this conflict for the world was certainly not one of the most important conflicts of the year – in Ukraine, too, almost no one heard about it. And this is not surprising, because Eubank – Benn – this is really an English clash that will gather a stadium there, and the rest of the world will only care about the result.

This is because the fighting is supplemented by the confrontation of the fathers. Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn fought twice. In 1990, Eubank passed an extremely difficult test, but still managed to win and knock out his opponent in the ninth round. They met again three years later at Old Trafford arena in Manchester. The fans filled the stadium and the match ended in a draw. At the same time, Eubank – Benn is considered a true classic of British boxing, so the meeting of his sons aroused the interest of Great Britain.

This is how the fight went from the beginning. Conor Benn is naturally smaller than Chris Eubank Jr., so he needed to gain weight. At the same time, against weight loss, Chris Sr. was his son for potential resolution of possible conflicts. He explained this by the fact that he had already lost a son – Chris Jr.’s brother had died – and the fact that he would not lose the last one due to overweight games.

But in the end, Benn decided everything. Conor is a brilliant boxer, but for over a year now questions about doping have arisen for him. He constantly clashes with doping organizations, refuses to take WADA tests, and is eventually caught doping again. And even if the checks after the A test show Ben is clean, who will believe him? No matter how much he tries to wash and clean himself now, he will be considered a dopingist for the rest of his life.

At the same time, it is not clear to everyone whether the fight will be cancelled. The doping was found almost immediately before the meeting, so the organizers hesitated. But still, they decided to cancel the confrontation and decide separately what to do with Benn next.

Now Chris Eubank Jr will face Liam Smith. A burly competitor in the prime of his career. Liam has three defeats in his career. He first lost to Saul Alvarez in 2016. Then Smith couldn’t resist the style and speed the Mexican offered. Canelo won by knockout in the ninth round. The second defeat is from Jaime Munguia. Again a Mexican, but the defeat is already the decision of the judges in 2018. And the third – in a duel against Magomed Kurbanov. Overall, Liam lost three times: twice to undefeated fighters and once to Canelo, who had only one loss to Mayweather.

Does that make Smith a strong boxer? Unlikely. Not bad, strong, competitive – yes. But strong, no. However, now is a great time for the British. Liam hasn’t lost in a year and has beaten three of his opponents since his last loss: Anthony Fowler, Jesse Vargas and Hassan Mwakinho.

This is definitely a competitor no louder than Benn. There’s no guarantee you can collect an entire stadium. But if Eubank is to seriously pursue titles after Smith, he’ll have to work hard.

Who is your favourite?

A highly competitive encounter, both in theory and on the bets’ offers. You can bet on Chris Eubank Jr. at odds of 1.40. On Liam Smith they give about 2.50–2.75. Chris is a favorite, but not by much.

Eubank is a really versatile and interesting boxer. He can hit or outrun opponents. It reasonably delays the faulty ones and works in combination. But if it doesn’t work, it works remotely without risk due to speed and timing.

His opponent is different. Liam likes to work from the neighborhood, but he’s number one. He’s a good punch and constantly puts pressure on his opponent. It works for protection. It jams, lets you miss, and even then hits from different angles.

It’s hard to pick one’s fist. On the one hand, Eubank is a more dynamic boxer in his own right. On the other hand, Smith knows how to close in corners and hit with both hands. This is confirmed by a close percentage of early victories. Liam owns 52.78% and Chris 67.65%.

It’s a good pairing in terms of style: a slower bass-and-play fan against a fast counter stapler. It should have both the first and second moments, but Eubank, who is faster and more dynamic, has more chances. Not a historic war against Benn, but okay.

At the same time, it is necessary not only to defeat Smith, but also to do it brightly and cheerfully. Ultimately, the goal Chris has set for himself is to have a fan base behind him. The main goal is a fight against Gennady Golovkin. The Englishman has been wanting to meet a Cossack for over a year, and one day he will get it.

Or will not understand – Golovkin still does not remember Eubank as potential competitors. But Gennady is already over 40 and there may come a time when he won’t have to choose at some point. And now there is an opportunity to defend both the title and the box in the UK, where many people are guaranteed to come together for it.

Therefore, Chris needs to win brilliantly and guarantee Golovkin a large fee, for which it is worth risking a title in a 40-year-old duel against a fast 33-year-old colleague.

The fight between Chris Eubank and Liam Smith will be played on January 21 in Manchester.