Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith kick off the New Year in style this weekend when they descend on the AO Arena in Manchester for a fascinating middleweight bust-up.
A genuine animosity between the two Brits has been building up for some time now and with world title opportunities down the line for the winner, this one is sure to be a cracker.
Here's everything you need to know about a card that also includes Frazer Clarke, a heavyweight showdown between former world champion Joseph Parker and Jack Massey, and a tasty cruiserweight bout involving Richard Riakporhe and Krzysztof Glowacki.
Where: AO Arena, Manchester
When: Saturday, January 21, 2023
How To Watch: The fight will be available on Sky Sports Box Office for £19.95 in the UK and will stream live on DAZN in the U.S, Canada, DACH and Japan. The main card is set to get underway at 7pm GMT, 8pm CET and 2pm ET. The ringwalks for Eubank Jr and Smith are scheduled for 10pm GMT, 11pm CET and 5pm ET.
Tale Of The Tape:
Eubank Jr
Place Of Birth: Brighton, Sussex, United Kingdom
Residence: Hove, Sussex, United Kingdom
Age: 33
Alias: Next Gen
Record: 32-2 (23)
Height: 5’11’’
Reach: 72½’’
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: Eubank Jr earned a unanimous decision win over Liam Williams at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff last May.
Smith
Place Of Birth: Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Age: Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Alias: Beefy
Record: 32-3-1 (19)
Height: 5’9½’’
Reach: N/A
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: Smith stopped Hassan Mwakinyo in four rounds at the Echo Arena in Liverpool in September.
What They Say:
Smith: “He’s making a big mistake fighting me. Every time he has fought at the top level, he has failed. I know I am at that level and when he steps up on January 21st in Manchester, I’m confident he’ll lose again.
“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.”
Eubank Jr: “He’s a competent fighter, but class beats competence every day of the week. It’s a good opportunity for me to show I’m twice the fighter that he is as well as those he has faced.
“Sixty per cent is much too generous to give to Liam Smith. He’s below that and if he’s ready for it then he will receive it."
Full Fight Card:
Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Smith, middleweight
Ekow Essuman v Chris Kongo, British and Commonwealth welterweight titles
Frazer Clarke v Kevin Nicolas Espindola, heavyweight
Joseph Parker v Jack Massey; heavyweight
Richard Riakporhe v Krzysztof Glowacki, cruiserweight
Scott Forrest v Amine Boucetta, cruiserweight
Matty Harris v Jiri Surmaj, heavyweight
Betfred Odds:
Eubank Jr: 2/5
Draw: 16/1
Smith: 2/1
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
