The animosity levels ahead of one of the most anticipated all-British fights of the new year have risen to the point of Instagram messages being leaked.
With characteristic cockiness, Chris Eubank Jr. shared a purported exchange he had with Liam Smith days before their middleweight meeting at Manchester Arena in which his opponent appeared to swearily shrug off any suggestion that the Brightonian’s usual mind games are working.
The experienced pair have already been engaged in several entertaining wars of words in front of the cameras, carrying echoes of the fiery encounters between Eubank’s father and the likes of Nigel Benn and Michael Watson during the 1990s.
Here are all the key details on Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith.
WATCH: Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith on DAZN (only in US, CA, JP and DACH)
When is Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith?
Doors open at 6 p.m. local time for the fight, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. and ringwalks for the main event expected at around 10 p.m.
- Date: Saturday, January 21
- Start time: 1 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT*
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT*
- Main event: 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT*
Eubank Jr vs Smith will take place on Saturday, January 21. The exact time of the main event ringwalks are subject to how long each previous bout takes.
*Fight starts on Sunday, January 22 in Australia.
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How to watch Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith
- TV channels/live stream: DAZN, Sky Sports Box Office
The fight will be available to purchase on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK, while fans in the US can watch the fight live on DAZN.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith price: How much does the fight cost?
A DAZN subscription costs $19.99 a month or $149.99 per year in the US. It’s $24.99 a month or $199.99 per year in Canada.
On Sky Sports, the event costs £19.95 for UK buyers and €24.95 for Republic of Ireland customers until midnight on Friday, January 20, at which point it rises to £24.95 / €29.95 if booked by telephone.
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Where is Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith?
The fight will take place at the 21,000-capacity AO Arena in Manchester, where Smith has fought five times and Eubank Jr has featured on three occasions.
As a 20-year-old, Smith beat Kevin McCauley on points there in his third fight in 2009, returning more than five years later to knock out Jason Welborn and retain the British light-middleweight title.
Smith scored successive knockout wins at the arena in 2015, beating John Thompson to claim the vacant WBO light-middleweight title, which he retained against Jimmy Kelly.
His fifth win at the arena came against Eubank Jr’s most recent victim, forcing Liam Williams to retire from their bout in April 2017.
Eubank Jr first fought there when he knocked out Ivan Jukic in the first round of their fight in 2014.
His next appearance at the venue was far more momentous, challenging George Groves for the WBA (Super) super-middleweight title but losing on points in the World Boxing Super Series super-middleweight semi-final.
He also beat Marcus Morrison by unanimous decision there in May 2021.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith odds for boxing match
Per Sky Bet, Eubank Jr. is a -225 favourite, while Smith is the +188 underdog.
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Eubank Jr. is the -250 favourite, while Smith is the +175 underdog.
Betting trends for Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith
Per the FanDuelSportsbook:
- Eubank via KO/TKO: +100
- Eubank via decision: +400
- Smith via KO/TKO: +320
- Smith via decision: +600
- Draw: +1600
Chris Eubank Jr. record and bio
- Nationality: British
- Born: Sept. 18, 1989
- Height: 5-11
- Reach: 72.5 in
- Total fights: 34
- Record: 32-2 (23 KOs)
Liam Smith record and bio
- Nationality: British
- Born: July 27, 1988
- Height: 5-9 ½
- Reach: 70 in
- Total fights: 36
- Record: 32-3-1 (19 KOs)
Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith fight card
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith (Middleweight)
Ekow Essuman vs Chris Kongo (British and Commonwealth welterweight title)
Frazer Clarke vs Kevin Nicolas Espindola (Heavyweight)
Richard Riakporhe vs Krzysztof Glowacki (Cruiserweight)
Joseph Parker vs Jack Massey (Heavyweight)
Scott Forrest vs Amine Boucetta (Cruiserweight)
Matty Harris vs Jiri Surmanj (Heavyweight)