Just rewatched the fight with Smith and noticed some things. 1) I thought Eubank took very long to come out of the dressing room. They knocked it twice and I think the security had to open the door telling them to come out. I know they could have been making Smith wait, but I just get the feeling something wasn’t right. 2) Before the fight he’s clenching his jaw a lot and moving his neck. Maybe he got dropped in sparring and was weary of getting hit. Also in the fight he’s moving back a lot after throwing his jab. Smith easily backs him into a corner during the fight. A guy with an iron chain being weary with an exchange with a 154 pounder. Then again he could just be working on his style and warming into the fight. 3)After the fight Robert Smith from the British board was in the corner with Team Eubank. Could have just been related to the stoppage but it looked like they were talking about something else other than the stoppage. I get the feeling that something wasn’t right with Eubank prior to the fight whether it be weight drain , an injury or something else. 4) Roy Jones Jr looked in absolute shock after the fight. I think the jury’s still out on him as a trainer. His career went on far too long and he failed to realise he was past it. Could do the same with the fighters he is training. This could all be speculation and we won’t know until anything comes out
There’s footage someone caught of Eubank Jr furious at Roy Jones. Jr also strangely mentions to Kugan after the weigh in how strange he feels and how he needs to leave the interview to eat
His mind looked elsewhere to me. He didn’t want to be there. It was quite sad knowing his brother wasn’t there and his father very ill, like he was on his own against the whole Smith family unit
Him and his team seriously thought smith would be an easy fight. I do think Eubank probably realised closer to the fight that fighting @ 160 was a problem for him.
Didn't notice anything physically wrong with his jaw during the ring walk. Apart from not looking particularly confident, he did seem to have watery eyes like he'd just been crying.
I'm not convinced about Roy Jones Jr as a trainer. Not all great fighters make great trainers. Abit like footballers becoming managers (Gerrard, Lampard etc). Has Jones Jr had any success as a trainer with a fighter? Has he helped anyone win a title? I'm not sure why Eubank Jr is so invested in having him. Apparently, Jones Jr moves in with him as part of the camp.
I think Eubank fought in a style that isn't suited to him and came up against a very tough and seasoned Liam Smith who knows how to fight, had the right game plan and was simply much better on the night. I could be wrong but I don't think it's anything deeper than that.
If he was crying just before the fight, he said he’d never cried in his life until his brother died so quite significant
I wouldn't say he was fuming at him there! A wee bit animated maybe which is understandable with all the adrenaline he'd have had at the time.
