George Groves advises Chris Eubank Jr to not take the rematch with Liam Smith as a result of 160 isn’t the precise weight class for him, and he’s not the fighter he as soon as was.
Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs) highlighted how a lot Eubank Jr (32-3, 23 KOs) has misplaced from his sport by knocking him out within the fourth spherical final Saturday evening on the AO Area in Manchester, England.
Groves questions whether or not the 33-year-old Eubank Jr will proceed his profession after his brutal two-knockdown defeat towards Liam. Though Eubank Jr mentioned he could be returning for the rematch with Smith, Groves identified that he was affected by the results of a concussion when he spoke to the media & his followers.
If Eubank Jr does return to the ring, Groves would love for him to battle at 168, the place he’s snug on the weight. The one drawback with Eubank Jr preventing at tremendous middleweight is that he must compete with extremely proficient fighters like David Benavidez, David Morrell, Caleb Plant, and Canelo Alvarez.
Perhaps if Eubank Jr have been nonetheless preventing within the aggressive fashion he had earlier in his profession earlier than teaming up with coach Roy Jones Jr, he may stand an opportunity towards the killers at 168, however not with the cautious boxing fashion that he now employs.
Fighters like Benavidez, Plant, Morrell, and Canelo would make the most of the watered-down Roy Jones Jr-esque fashion that Eubank Jr makes use of and beat the stuffing out of him worse than Liam Smith did.
Eubank Jr shouldn’t take rematch
“I didn’t, and that’s why boxing is troublesome to provide a full, clear prediction,” mentioned George Groves to iFL TV in regards to the surprising upset by Liam Smith over Chris Eubank Jr final Saturday evening.
“Eubank Jr, who’s by far essentially the most profitable fighter with a well-known dad, and perhaps that’ll be the final time we see him in motion. It’s delight with fighters. You get dropped, and also you leap up; that’s what you do.
“He did stand up too fast, however perhaps if he didn’t stand up too fast, he wouldn’t have gotten up in any respect. He appeared actually, actually closely harm; he was nearly slumped in his personal nook.
“So he leaped again to his toes however his toes weren’t beneath him but. Even when he tried to tie up, Liam is old fashioned; he’s a wily outdated fighter. He’ll wriggle free and punch away. I all the time thought at that stage, the battle is over.
“No, he shouldn’t take the rematch,” Groves mentioned about Eubank Jr. “He’s closely concussed for the time being, and I admire the fights nonetheless in him, however personally, I feel 160 is just too tight. He’s not the identical fighter he as soon as was, and Liam is just not the precise battle for him proper now.
“I’m certain he needs to revenge the loss. Yeah, that wouldn’t be the precise battle for me. Have a break,” mentioned Groves, recommending that Eubank Jr not take the rematch with Liam.
160 too low for Chris
“Eubank appeared too tight on the weight, and he didn’t have his dad round like he often does, somebody who he’s accountable to. He appeared a bit of flat like he’d misplaced a little bit of snap & pop on the punches.
“Credit score to Liam Smith; he dealt with the whole lot about tonight brilliantly. Chris was moving into the battle a bit of bit higher; he discovered his vary fairly good with the jab and landed a couple of uppercut swings within the third spherical, nevertheless it was energy-taxing stuff,” Groves continued about Eubank Jr.
“He by no means appeared tremendous snug or tremendous clean with it. It appeared prefer it took a bit of little bit of effort, and pulling out excessive and counting on reflexes is dangerous. Smith, I wouldn’t say it was a matter of time, however he discovered that shot, put that photographs collectively.
“The battle might have been stopped there after which, however that is pay-per-view, we’re paying for it, and it’s the massive names,” mentioned Groves in regards to the first knockdown within the fourth spherical by Liam. “The referee Victor Loughlin made the precise determination to try to give Chris one other alternative.
“It wasn’t to be. He will get dropped once more, and the referee makes the precise determination and stops the battle,” mentioned Groves in regards to the referee making the precise name to drag Eubank Jr out.