Fan backlash targets Liam Smith for injury "excuses" and drastic weight gain 

British boxer Liam Smith attributes his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. in their recent rematch to an arduous "42-pound" weight cut. The former WBC light-middleweight champion suffered a 10th-round TKO defeat during their recently concluded showdown at AO Arena, Manchester, England.

Liam Smith's struggles were evident in the fight as he was dropped twice and suffered a severe cut over his right eye, prompting the referee to stop the contest. The 35-year-old contends that his painstaking journey to make the 160-pound limit took a severe toll on his performance.

He explained that factors like a back injury and a rescheduled fight date compounded the challenges, making it a race against time. Speaking in the post-fight press conference, Smith said:

"From the back injury to the last time I got over the back injury, you know, I cut 42 pounds. It sort of took a toll on my body in the last week. Chris started the fight exactly like the last fight but got more confident because he was not being countered."

Catch Liam Smith's comments below:

The post-fight comments from Liam Smith received serious backlash from fans. They took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Smith for his "excuses". One fan wrote:

"Very much sounds like excuses."

Another fan wrote:

"There's always a reason when a boxer loses."

Yet another fan remarked:

"He should have pulled out of the fight then."

Check out some of the best reactions below:

[Images via: @BoxingNewsPlus on X]

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David Haye shuts down talks of a Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith rematch

Former two-division world champion David Haye firmly dismissed the idea of a trilogy fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith.

Smith pulled off a stunning upset by knocking out Eubank in just four rounds in their first encounter in January earlier this year. However, their recent rematch in Manchester saw Eubank dominate, scoring two knockdowns and ultimately stopping Smith in the tenth round.

With the series now level at 1-1, speculation about a potential trilogy is picking up steam on social media. Haye, however, believes that the first fight lacked Eubank's serious commitment, whereas now, with trainer Brian McIntyre in charge, Eubank is fully focused. Speaking in an interview with Radio Rahim of Seconds Out Haye commented:

"I thought [Smith] showed a lot of heart, a lot of guts, a lot of balls.... A lot of fighters would have taken a knee a long time prior to that stoppage, and a lot of corners would have thrown in the towel. It was a sustained beating from round three onwards.

"It was pretty much one-sided and I don't think there is anyone who wants to see a rubber match there. There won't be interest in a third fight because this fight was so conclusive."

Catch Haye's comments below: