Liam Smith believes Chris Eubank Jnr has made a 'big mistake' and warned him he is in for the 'toughest night of his career' when they meet in January.
The pair will go head-to-head at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday, January 21, in a huge British middleweight clash, which will be shown on live Sky Sports Box Office. Smith heads into the mouth-watering bout in the form of his life following wins over Jesse Vargas, Anthony Fowler and Roberto Garcia.
And after his winning BOXXER debut in September, the former Archbishop Beck pupil immediately set his sights on Eubank Jr as he plots his path to becoming a world champion for a second time. Eubank, who is the son of the legendary former world champion Chris Eubank, has successfully carved out his own reputation in the sport and has been eager to step back inside the ropes after his proposed October bout with Conor Benn was postponed.
READ MORE: 'Not fought anyone' - Tom Farrell sends blunt 'pressure' message to Harlem Eubank
But in Smith, the 33-year-old faces the toughest test of his career, and 'Beefy' believes he will have too much for the Brighton-based fighter on the night.
He said: “He’s making a big mistake fighting me. Every time he has stepped up to elite level, he has failed. I am elite and he will fall again on January 21st in Manchester.
“If he was at 60% for the fight that never was against Conor Benn, then he’ll need to be at 160% to be ready to face me, a former world champion, in front of thousands of my fans in the North-West.
“For Chris this is a high-risk, low-reward. For me, it’s the perfect platform to show I will rule the world again in 2023. He needs to be prepared for the toughest night of his career.”
Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO, believes the bout is one fight fans have been calling for and claimed Smith will be viewed by many as the favourite to come out on top.
He said: “What a way to start the new year. This is the fight that British boxing fans have been calling for. There aren’t many bigger names in the sport than Chris Eubank Jr, who many believe is coming into his prime now.
"This is his biggest fight in recent memory against a truly world class fighter Liam Smith. Liam is proven at world level and in the form of his life. Many will feel that he is the favourite going into this.
“It will be a huge occasion for British boxing and we’re delighted to bring this mouthwatering event to the fans in the iconic fight city of Manchester.”
While Wasserman's Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland, said: "Eubank vs Smith is a fight that has been talked about for a very long time.
“It's an absolute banger of a boxing bonanza to kick off a huge year for the undisputed superstar of the middleweights Chris Eubank Jr, in a year in which we expect him to take over the division.
“The journey begins in the amazing fight city of Manchester which has been host to so many historic British blockbusters, on January 21 live on Sky Box Office we will witness the next one."
Fight fans can pre-register for tickets here, with the pre-sale date of Tuesday, November 29. Tickets will be available on general sale on Thursday, December 1.
READ MORE:
