Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith rematch announced for June

Smith defeated Eubank Jr via fourth-round TKO in January

Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith will clash in a rematch in June, five months after the latter emerged victorious from their first fight.

Smith defeated Eubank Jr via fourth-round TKO in Manchester in January, in what was widely deemed an upset. Now the Britons are set to meet at middleweight again on 17 June, as they go head to head at the AO Arena in Manchester once more.

“I know he tried his best to go a different route,” said Liverpudlian Smith, “but the fight is on now, and I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say for himself in the build-up.

“Let’s see what angle he comes with this time. He can’t come with angles about how he’s never been hurt, he’s never been dropped, he’s never been stopped, because he just had all three of those things happen to him in one night – and it was me who did it to him.”

Meanwhile, Eubank Jr said: “Liam had the night of his life against me in January. The stars aligned for him in Manchester, and he went away with a big win, but lightning doesn’t strike twice.

“If he even has the slightest thought that he can beat me again, then great, because it will be his undoing.”

Smith (33-3-1, 20 knockouts) and Eubank Jr (32-3, 23 KOs) initially squared off after the latter’s bout with Conor Benn fell through in October. Eubank Jr and Benn were due to fight each other almost 29 years to the day after their fathers last clashed, but Benn failed two drug tests that saw the fight cancelled.

Eubank Jr, 33, went on to lose to Smith, 34, before declaring that he would trigger a rematch clause. After some delay, that fight is now official.

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