Liam Smith has fired back at claims Chris Eubank Jr is getting under his skin and questioned the appointment of Roy Jones.
Smith is set to face Eubank Jr at the AO Arena in Manchester a week on Saturday, and there is certainly no love lost between the pair. Eubank Jr is still striving to win his first world title, but Smith has already proven himself at the highest level, having previously claimed the WBO super-welterweight belt.
Speaking back in November, Brighton-based Eubank Jr claimed he only needed to be at '50%' to beat the former Archbishop Beck pupil. But when asked by the ECHO about the claims Eubank Jr could be getting under his skin, Smith replied: “He doesn't know me as a person. Everyone here knows me more than him. He’s barking up the wrong tree.
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“He already thinks he is under my skin. I’m thinking, 'Wow, are you mad?' The only thing you have said to me and I have reacted to is how I would react to you.
“Anyone sitting at this table and saying I will beat you at 50%, I would say, 'Are you mad?' I don’t know why he thinks he has gotten under my skin.
“If I did something out of the ordinary that I haven’t done in my whole career you could say 'he has got Liam there...Liam has bit and gone for him'.
“Or if I have said something I really shouldn’t have said, below the belt, I would understand. But in no way shape or form has he got under my skin. He will not get under my skin.”
Smith then continued saying: “You don’t know with him. His head hits the pillow at night and he is not stupid. He’s made a lot of money out of boxing. He’s not stupid.
“He plays the game well and says what media people want to hear. What makes people chuckle a little bit and what gets headlines.
“Some people don’t like him for it. It doesn't sit well with some people, but other people jump on board. That’s the way he has chosen to play the game.”
It was announced back in December that legendary boxing figure Roy Jones was joining Eubank Jr’s camp for the fight as his main coach.
And Smith insists Eubank Jr bringing Jones into his team is actually a sign that he is anticipating a harder fight than when he was due to face Conor Benn back in October.
“I think everybody sitting and listening to what I am saying thinks you are right there,” he told the ECHO when asked about the appointment.
“Why wasn’t Roy Jones brought in for Conor Benn? It is because Conor Benn was a British thing. Am I not British? I understand what he means with Benn vs Eubank you would have their dads in the corners, it would have been perfect, but your dad wasn’t there.
“Ronnie Davies was and that is why I said what I said. Ronnie Davies is a great fella but the rest of them are all t**s and that is what I meant by it.
“If I am easier than Conor Benn then why don’t you get Ronnie to train you again? I am pretty sure Roy Jones isn’t cheap. I know Chris has got money, but why give the money to Roy when you can train yourself. Give the money to your family.”
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