Date: 02/09/2023
Venue: Manchester Arena
TV: Sky Sports Box Office
Liam Smith gave us a nice pay-day when beating Chris Eubank Jr back in January and is backed to come out on top again in Saturday’s rematch.
The Liverpudlian stopped his opponent early in the fourth round when an 11/5 underdog and we’re convinced that was no fluke result.
Beefy is now the favourite for success and 8/13 for him to oblige again is our initial Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith 2 prediction.
Smith full of confidence again
Unhappy with the referee’s intervention, Eubank activated a contracted rematch clause and the pair were set to do battle in June.
Smith twice had to delay the second encounter due to “minor but nagging” injury problems, but the 35-year-old remains confident of confirming his superiority.
He declared: “I’ve always said a fully fit Liam Smith beats Chris Eubank Jr every time.”
With the build-up overshadowed by unpleasant exchanges during the final pre-fight press conference, there was little love lost between the fighters as they walked out to a packed Manchester Arena in January.
Smith, a former WBO light-middleweight champion, made the better start and although Eubank Jr recovered, he was put down twice in the fourth before the referee stepped in to end the contest.
Looking ahead to the second clash, Smith told talkSPORT: “I’ve got to expect something different from Chris because if I get the same Chris, I’ll wipe the floor with him again.
“It could be a more aggressive Chris, a more active Chris, but I’ve got to expect something different because if I don’t, it’s a foregone conclusion who wins.”
Looking at the Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith 2 odds, the Liverpudlian has the speed, skill and work-rate to control this contest and is 13/8 to get the job done inside the distance again.
Eubank vows to learn his lesson
Eubank was gracious in defeat earlier this year, stating afterwards: “Big congratulations to him. He caught me with a great shot.”
However, he has since put that loss down to complacency and is keen to put the record straight.
“No more excuses, no more postponements,” declared Next Gen. “Smith can’t run forever. September 2 is the day of my revenge.”
Reflecting on his January reversal, the 33-year-old told The Overlap: “I was very comfortable, I was very relaxed, he wasn’t catching me with shots.
“In the third round I hit him with some great combinations, and I was just fully in control. I guess I went back to the corner after the third round and I was like ‘this is in the bag, I’ve got this.’
“That relaxed attitude caused me to let my guard down for a split second, literally. My opponent capitalised on that split second mistake and now we’re here, about to settle the score in a rematch.”
Eubank has a decent record of 32 wins in 35 fights, but he also came up short in two previous big British bouts, being outpointed by Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves.
The feeling is that Next Gen has traded on his family name to get further up the ratings than his talent deserves and this could be another occasion when his limitations are exposed.
Smith may be a naturally smaller man but has the bigger heart and has worked his way up alongside brothers Paul, Stephen and Callum, who are all professional boxers, too.
Beefy can dig deeper in the trenches and 3/1 for him to win in rounds 7-12 is added to our Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith 2 betting tips.
Those wanting a bigger pay-out could do worse than taking 16/1 for Smith to stop his opponent in the eighth round this time.
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