Chris Eubank Jr dramatically defeated bitter rival Liam Smith with a sensational 10th round stoppage in their grudge rematch, avenging his loss to the Liverpool player here seven months ago.
Eubank, 33, sent Smith to the canvas after one minute and 45 seconds of round 10 of a fight he largely dominated from start to finish with a stunning display of cool, calm and controlled boxing.
Eubank’s tactics were excellent and this highly professional, ruthlessly efficient and clinical display showed him at his best.
Eubank had lost to Smith in a fourth-round stoppage here in January, so this was revenge at its sweetest and surest, no more than the Brighton man deserved.
Unfortunately, trouble broke out with the crowd at least twice during the fight, with fans seen tearing up in the stands as Eubank enjoyed one of the finest hours of his career in the ring.
Chris Eubank Jr defeated Liam Smith in their highly anticipated rematch in Manchester
The pair won repeatedly during the early rounds, with Eubank making the better shots
Smith appeared to be struggling with a left ankle injury but took nothing from Eubank.
He was a worthy conqueror and even Smith’s most ardent supporter would certainly not deny that.
The star-studded crowd included Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker, who fought a mammoth encounter here in December 2021 as the latter won and retained his WBO intercontinental heavyweight title.
Longtime opponents Amir Khan and Kell Brook even held a joint ringside interview ahead of the main event as a show of mutual respect.
It was the first time they had crossed paths since fighting in this arena in February 2022, when former world champion Khan suffered an injury loss to Brook and subsequently retired.
Ex-world heavyweight champion David Haye and English footballers Jordan Pickford, John Stones and Conor Coady also sat in the VIP seats.
When Eubank and Smith finally came out for their ring walks, it felt like entering a lion’s den.
Just like when Smith beat his bitter rival here in January, the Liverpool player was backed by huge and vocal support from his home city.
Eubank had met a number of Manchester United players this summer when they were on tour in Las Vegas and he was there preparing for this fight with new manager Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre.
Marcus Rashford was one of those who warned him not to lose again to a Scouser on Mancunian turf.
That made for a lighter build-up than when Smith and Eubank fought earlier this year, when Eubank questioned Smith’s allegiance and made the Liverpudlian allusions about his rival’s sexuality.
While there was a VIP crowd in attendance, Eubank found a consistent home for his left uppercut
The shot put Smith on the canvas in the fourth round, but the Liverpoolan got up to fight on
Despite the quieter preparations for this rematch, Eubank made a bold claim at Thursday’s press conference.
“The performance will be exquisite, supernatural, a beautiful artistic representation of wild boxing,” he stated.
Eubank also mischievously told Smith, “I’m definitely more intelligent than you, my friend,” prompting a fierce reply from his opponent.
Eubank was laughed at as he made his way to the ring and even pricked up both ears to the crowd to excite his opponents.
Smith received a more favorable reception and during a tight, tense and cautious opening round, the Liverpool man made the first shot of the fight with a well-timed uppercut.
Eubank began to work out his jab as both fighters tried to hold, prompting the referee to briefly interrupt the action to talk to both fighters.
In the second round, the fight started moving through the gears with less grip from both fighters and Eubank started to gain the upper hand, with Smith hitting the deck at the end of the round.
But it was a push and not a knockdown, confidence coursing through Eubank’s veins as the third round unfolded.
He used his jab superbly to put Smith on the back foot before connecting late in the round with a sweet uppercut and a punch to his rival’s body.
Eubank continued to dominate through the middle rounds, taking a wide lead on the scorecards
Smith faltered and was unable to achieve success against his rejuvenated opponent
There was no denying that Eubank was on top – a stark contrast to their previous fight in January – and he continued to gain momentum.
In the fourth round, Eubank’s energy and conviction in his punches saw him knock Smith to the ground, with the Liverpoolan losing his gums.
It was a heavy blow for Smith as the fifth round began, when he took a serious, sustained punishment, with Eubank unleashing a series of endless blows while his rival was well and truly on the ropes.
Eubank at this point seemed poised to sensationally finish off Smith, but the older man somehow restrained himself when he could easily have nodded.
Shortly before the sixth round started, there were also problems with the crowd in the stands, so that Smith at least started to turn the tide and hold his own.
Courtesy of the Liverpool man, of course.
The pace of the fight started to become clear for both fighters, but Eubank kept working smartly into the seventh round.
Smith appeared to have injured his left ankle, hampering his movement, and Eubank ended the round powerfully, landing more quick punches before the pair exchanged words as the round ended.
The attack continued into the championship rounds, with Eubank pelting Smith against the Ropes
The referee had seen enough by the tenth round and stopped the fight shortly after Smith was dropped a second time
Eubank appeared more and more often and at the end of the eighth round the violence flared up again in the stands, a round in which Smith again kept his opponent at bay while the Brighton man made his jab neatly tapped.
In the ninth round, Eubank continued to have few problems with Smith, who was by now at least that far behind on points, and needed a knockout to secure victory.
In the tenth round Eubank was again largely dominant, a swift and furious flurry of punches forced the Liverpool man to the ground and left him with a bloodied face above his right eye.
Moments later, the fight was stopped when Eubank crashed Smith into the canvas, marking a staggering turn in fortunes for both men from their previous encounter.