In what became a bitter grudge match, former WBO junior middleweight champion Liam “Beefy” Smith won on a fourth-round knockout against former IBO super middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday night in a middleweight contest.
The time was 1 minute and 9 seconds.
There was nothing in it through the first three rounds with both boxers fighting cautiously.
However, in round four Smith dropped Eubank with a barrage of punches, but he managed to get up on unsteady legs.
Smith stepped in immediately and smashed Eubank to the canvas again as referee Victor Loughlin waved the fight off.
Eubank, who was the 3:1 favourite going into the fight, has a rematch clause if he wants it.
Smith improved his record 33-3-1; 20 and Eubank’s record dropped to 32-3-2; 23.
Liam Smith’s finish of Chris Eubank Jr #EubankJrSmith
— BOXRAW (@BOXRAW) January 22, 2023
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UNDERCARD
Richard Riakporhe 16-0; 12 ranked at No 2 IBF and the WBC No 5 cruiserweight, stopped former WBO champion Krzysztof Glowacki 32-4; 20 in the fourth round.
Riackporhe stunned Glowacki with a barrage of punches in the fourth round and referee Howard Foster stopped the fight at 2:44 into the round.
Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker 31-3; 21 won on points over ten rounds against Jack “One Smack” Massey 20-2; 11.
The scores were 96-93, 97-92 and 97-93.
In a welterweight bout, Ekow Essuman 19-0; 7 won on a majority 12-round points decision over Chris Kongo 14-2; 7.
Essuman retained the British, Commonwealth, IBF Euro and WBC International silver titles.
2020 Olympic super heavyweight bronze medallist Frazer Clarke 5-0; 4 won against Kevin Espindola 7-7; 2 who did not come for the fifth round due to a hand injury.
JONATHAN GUIDRY WINS AGAINST FORMER WBC CHAMPION
Heavyweight Johnathan “The King” Guidry 19-1-2; 10 won a ten-round unanimous points decision over former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane “B. WARE” Stiverne 25-6-1; 21 on Saturday night at Casino Miami Jai-Alai in Miami, Florida.
Guidry retained the WBA/NABA “gold title with scores of 100-91, 97-93 and 100-91.
Welterweight Tre’Sean Wiggins 15-5-3; 8 retained the NABA title on a ten-round unanimous points decision against Nigel Fennel 13-2, 8.
The scores were 99-91, 97-93 and 98-92.
In a toe-to-toe middleweight battle, Ian Green 17-2; 11 retained his WBA Continental Americas title on a ten-round split decision against Alexander Castro 11-1; 9.
The scores were 96-94 twice for Green and 96-94 for Castro.
Junior welterweight Raynel Mederos 8-0; 2 won against Nelson Morales 3-2; 0 with scores of 58-55, 58-55, 57-56.
Light heavyweight Kenmon Evans 10-0-1; 3 scored a six-round unanimous decision over Cleotis Pendarvis 21-14-2; 9. The scores were 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55.
Making his pro debut, middleweight Alex Esponda stopped Carlos Cruz 2-10, 1 in 74 seconds of the first round.
In his first pro fight, light heavyweight Brayan Leon Salgado needed just 58 seconds to stop Salome Flores Torres 1-8; 0.
Pro debuting junior welterweight Darian Castro outscored Ryan Schwartzberg 1-9-2; 1 over six rounds.
JACK CATTERALL VS JOSH TAYLOR POSTPONED AGAIN
The grudge rematch between WBO junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall has been postponed for the third time after Taylor suffered an injury to his foot.
Taylor won a controversial decision over Catterall in February last year in a bout for the undisputed world junior welterweight title.