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Chris Eubank Jr. wore a rainbow armband on his left arm in support of the LGBTQ community in response to Liam Smith questioning his sexuality at their previous press conference.
The two british fighters were engaged in a heated debate and exchanged personal jibes at each other when Smith made these comments:
“You go on about girls, has anybody in this room ever seen you with a girl? You got something to tell us?”
‘Next Gen’ responded to this by saying that his personal life was “irrelevant to boxing” and responded to Smith:
“I am happy and comfortable. What would you like to know, Liam? If you want to get personal, talking about being gay? “I’ve been told you cheat on your wife.”
Smith’s remarks appeared to have hurt the sentiments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and fans alike, and the British Boxing Board of Control responded to the backlash of the boxer’s comments with a statement that read:
“The BBBofC are aware of the comments made by Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. at yesterday's press conference, and the Stewards of the Board will be considering the conduct of both Boxers directly.”
Check out Liam Smith's comments below:
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith
The fight between the former IBO Super Middleweight, WBA Interim Middleweight Champion and the former WBO Middleweight Champion took place on the 21st of January 2023 at Manchester Arena.
The fight started with an active first round from Chris Eubank Jr. as he doubled his jab well while walking forward, while Liam Smith stayed vigilant throughout. The second round saw Smith respond with some tenacity, landing some shots of his own and in the process earned the respect of his opponent.
The third round was all-important for Eubank Jr., keeping Smith at a distance and also landing some powerful uppercuts in the process. The fourth round was where Smith came out all guns blazing and knocked down the former IBO Super Middleweight Champion with a powerful right uppercut.
Smith then backed Eubank Jr. into a corner and landed some devastating combinations, and two knockdowns later, the referee deemed that Eubank Jr. had sustained enough punishment and called a halt to the action, handing Smith a fourth-round TKO victory.
Watch the highlights below:
