Chris Eubank Jr considers appeal over knockout defeat Liam Smith

Eubank Jr’s team insist an elbow from Smith had a decisive effect on the outcome in Manchester

Chris Eubank Jr is considering an appeal over an alleged elbow by Liam Smith in his knockout victory.

Eubank Jr was stunned by the Liverpudlian in the fourth round, with Smith pouncing on him after dropping him once before the referee called the contest off.

But Eubank Jr is now contemplating an appeal to the British Boxing Board of Control concerning an alleged elbow in the barrage of shots which led to the first knockdown.

“We are looking at it,” Eubank Jr’s promoter Kalle Sauerland, of Wasserman Boxing, told Sky Sports.

The issue has also been raised by Eubank Jr’s trainer Roy Jones Jr, who was the target of criticism from Eddie Hearn in the aftermath of the fight.

“Avoid Roy Jones Jr as a trainer! Never mind this elbow... Just avoid him,” Jones Jr said on social media.

“Damn. If I can take all that away from a fighter via training, no wonder I raised so much hell in my day!!”

The issue was also a hot topic in the build-up, with Eubank Jr raising the prospect of Smith using his elbows to gain an advantage.

“I’m just saying, I like when I see guys doing the headbutting and the elbowing,” Eubank Jr said in The Gloves Are Off. “Because that means that they’re not true, and when the going gets tough they look for ways out, they look for ways that they’re not supposed to use,” said Eubank Jr.

Eubank Jr reacts to defeat against Smith (Action Images via Reuters)

Smith replied: “You’re reading that all wrong. I’ll do anything I can to beat you, anything. It’s a fight, it’s a called a fight.”

Even if an appeal fails, Eubank Jr will have the right of revenge should he choose to trigger a rematch clause.

Sauerland said the team will “let the dust settle” before making a call over activating the clause, while Eubank Jr quickly stated in the aftermath of his defeat that “we'll get it on again soon”.

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