Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. to meet in rematch June 17
Crews-Dezurn defends undisputed women's super middleweight title against Marshall in co-feature
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When Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. met earlier this year, Smith authored a shocking upset knockout victory. Now that the rematch is official, the old adage is apt: Will it be repeat or revenge?
British rivals Smith and Eubank will meet again in a 12-round middleweight bout on June 17 at AO Arena in Manchester, England, Boxxer and Wasserman Boxing announced on Tuesday.
The fight will headline a Sky Box Office pay-per-view in the United Kingdom and Ireland. No United States broadcaster was announced, but the first fight was shown on DAZN in the U.S.
Also announced was the co-feature in which undisputed women’s super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn will defend against former women’s middleweight titlist Savannah Marshall.
After a very personal and nasty build up, Smith and Eubank first met on Jan. 21, also at AO Arena, and Smith pulled the upset in a fourth-round knockout victory in a fight made only because Conor Benn failed a drug test, causing a high-profile fight against Eubank scheduled for Oct. 8 to be canceled during fight week.
That left Eubank’s team at Wasserman Boxing to find another major fight for him, which they did against former junior middleweight titlist Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs), 34, a few months later.
“It all happened to him on one night, everything he thought couldn't happen to him, everything Chris prides himself on not happening, happened to him on one night — and I did it to him,” Smith said at Tuesday’s news conference announcing the rematch. “I knew I was a better fighter than Chris. Now I know I can hurt him and hurt him quite handily at 160 pound. Now I'm massively confident.
“To save face he had to take this rematch if he wants to go any further in his career. He’s got a lot of demons to overcome.”
Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs), 33, had the contractual right to an immediate rematch and in mid-February announced via social media that he had exercised his right to one. However, before the fight was formally announced there was much discussion about Eubank backing away from the rematch and next facing Benn instead, and doing so in Saudi Arabia.
That did not come to pass because Benn is suspended in the U.K. due to the failed drug test and British regulators made it clear that anybody who operates with a British license, be it fighter, trainer or promoter, was putting their license in jeopardy by being involved in a Benn fight.
“I know he tried his best to go a different route but the fight is on now and I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say for himself in the build up,” Smith said. “Let’s see what angle he comes with this time.
“He can’t come with angles about how he’s never been hurt, he’s never been dropped, he’s never been stopped, because he just had all three of those things happen to him in one night and it was me who did it to him. So, I’m interested to see what he comes with this time and I’m also interested to see where he goes after I beat him again.”
Eubank said there is no way he will lose to Smith again.
“Liam had the night of his life against me in January,” Eubank said. “The stars aligned for him and he went away with a big win. But lightning doesn't strike twice. If he even has the slightest thought that he can beat me again, then great, because it will be his undoing.”
The January fight was competitive until the sudden ending, which gave Smith the biggest win of his career. Eubank complained about the stoppage on Tuesday.
“The thing I regret is not being given the chance to get through it,” Eubank said. “I wanted to continue. I wanted to see if I could overcome that adversity and I feel like I was robbed of that challenge. This is what we sign up for. We signed up to get hurt. We sign up for the possibility of receiving punishment.”
In the fourth round, Smith cornered Eubank and landed a right hand on the chin that hurt him followed by two lefts, a brutal left uppercut that snapped his head back and another left that put him on his rear end in a corner and grabbing the ropes.
Eubank popped up quickly on extremely unsteady legs. Referee Victor Loughlin issued the mandatory eight-count and allowed the fight to continue even though Eubank looked in terrible shape. Smith went right to him and dropped him again under heavy pressure and again Eubank quickly got up, but before Loughlin could even begin his count Eubank nearly fell over and Loughlin stopped it.
“If a beating was what I was going to take if the fight had been left to go longer, then great, that’s what I deserve,” Eubank said. “I would have accepted that. I would have enjoyed that. In my opinion, he didn’t stop me, the referee stopped me. In a sense we both got robbed there.
“I’m a grizzled veteran in the sport. I know how much I can take. I know when I can’t go on. I was buzzed but I knew what was going on.”
Crews-Dezurn vs. Marshall
Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs), 35, of Baltimore, became the undisputed 168-pound women’s champion last April when she handily outpointed Elin Cederroos to unify the four major belts. Crews-Dezurn has not fought since and will make her first defense against Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs), 31, of England.
Crews-Dezurn was initially ordered earlier this month to make her WBC mandatory defense against Shadasia Green, but the WBC rescinded the order when it was made aware that the fight with Marshall was being finalized.
“I’m so excited that my team and Boxxer were finally able to get this fight done,” Crews-Dezurn said. “I’m looking forward to fighting in Manchester, England, especially against a competitor like Savannah Marshall, who has represented the U.K. for many years just as I have represented the United States for many years, including as amateurs.
“This fight has been over 10 years in the making and it’s going to be one for the history books. I love to elevate women’s boxing and put on a great display for the people here in the U.K. The fans have embraced women’s boxing so much here and I’m coming for the win, regardless of being in Savannah’s backyard or any other adversity stacked against me. I’m full confident in myself and my team and I look forward to putting on a great show for the people.”
Marshall is moving up in weight after taking her first defeat, a competitive decision to Claressa Shields in their October unification showdown for the undisputed middleweight title. Crews-Dezurn’s only loss was also to Shields.
“This is a big fight for me and a chance to become a two-weight world champion,” Marshall said.
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