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Chris Eubank Jr suffers a swollen eye of HORROR after his brutal stoppage by Liam Smith as shocked fans claim the middleweight was left ‘looking like Popeye’ after being beaten twice by his bitter rival.
Chris Eubank Jr was left with one eye swollen in horror after his shock loss to Liam Smith at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Smith landed a forceful uppercut followed by a fearsome left hook to send Eubank Jr to the canvas for the first time in his professional career. Eubank Jr got to his feet on unsteady legs, but after another barrage of punches from Smith, the fight was stopped.
Subsequently, the damage caused by Smith was apparent, with Eubank Jr barely being able to open his right eye, which was the size of a tennis ball.
Chris Eubank Jr was left with a terrible eye injury in his shock loss to Liam Smith
Fans have taken to social media to react to the injury, with some criticizing Eubank Jr for his lack of preparation.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “That’s what happens after going in at 50%”, in reference to Eubank Jr’s statement in the buildup that he would need to push himself at 50% to beat Smith.
Another boxing fan said: ‘Man, Eubank Jr looks like Popeye, I guess nobody saw that coming.’
Chris Eubank Jr (left) was destroyed by Liam Smith (right) in Manchester on Saturday
Eubank Jr was dropped in the fourth round after a brutal uppercut from the Liverpudlian.
‘Letting him knocked down is one thing, but that quirk under his eye is hilarious. I still love you Chris. Congrats to Liam too,’ wrote a third fan.
Eubank Jr paid tribute to Smith afterwards despite the controversial build-up to the fight, insisting that he respects him and his family.
‘Big congratulations to him. He caught me with a great shot,” Eubank Jr. said.
‘The buildup was the buildup, it got a bit ugly at the end. I was sorry about that. I respect you, I respect your family, I always have.
‘If the fans want to see a rematch, we can do it at Anfield. Big respect, man.
Eubank Jr had set his sights on fighting Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez later this year, but his chances of fighting either now appear to be gone, with the Brit facing an uncertain future after such a damaging loss.