Via Kieran O’Sullivan: If the rumor is a river, will anyone find out its source? The terrain is hazy, the maps doubtful. You can get lost out there just looking.
But everyone knows that what begins as a vague whisper often ends in a stream of rumors as the flood mounts.
One rumor is overseas. On the remote periphery of the boxing community, some lone and hardened online blogger whispers it in the digital darkness: Did Liam Smith cheat with Eubank Jr?
Now, before you all throw your toys out of the prams, let’s tackle the fundamental problem that Eubank Jr was duped into his hands on Saturday night at Manchester AO Arena. It was a thorough attack. One beat down. Smith went there and did business. Work completed.
Correct?
Well, there are rumors that…
A dirty fighter?
During preparations for the fight, Eubank Jr taunted Smith, accusing him of being a ‘dirty boxer’ who used his elbows and head to gain an unfair advantage. Along with all the vulgar language exchanged – homophobic slurs, marriage slanders – Eubank’s combat-specific accusations got lost in the ugly mill. . Smith laughed and denied he was a dirty boxer. Eubank smiled coldly, smugly, ‘you know what I know.’
But what do we know? Can we see the war with calm, objective, unbiased, prejudiced eyes?
What did the Joker see?
An offsite blogger with the unbelievable online nickname JokerfleckCast recently posted a 38-second video on YouTube that has racked up nearly 40k views. In the video, we see Eubank Jr backed into a corner; Smith throws what looks like a legitimate left hook that, up close, looks like a deliberate elbow. Vicious. Throw with purpose.
Or not. It’s a war – always defend yourself. Liam throws a left hook. Eubank Duck. Too late. Tagged.
End of story?
Exhibit A: Muay Thai Elbows?
Anyone who has seen the men of steel, the Muay Thai fighters, will know how a skilled Thai boxer often disguises his elbow as a hook. When they land precisely, these elbow strikes are incredibly destructive: all that muscular pulsation and sinewy leverage will be concentrated at the sharp end of the bony elbow – it’s a game play hard.
But with different rules.
Backed into the corner, under fire, Eubank crouched as Liam Smith hit a left hook.
And then something strange happened.
Liam’s hook goes all Muay Thai. The forearm – which is normally flat on the horizontal when the shot is accurate – ends up in a steep vertical line, gloved hand raised, elbow fully loaded just below Eubank’s right eye.
Under the brutal force of the blow, Eubank’s legs buckled, thus opening him up to a combined attack straight from the copied book.
Result? A broken Eubank staggers in the ring, his career in smoke.
Super Welding And Super Welding
After the battle, the wound in the form of a large, mushroom-like weld could be seen below Eubank’s right eye. Unusual, to say the least.
It was almost as if Eubank Jr had been illegally hit with a bony elbow?
Liam Smith, a super welterweight climbing to middleweight, has done what no one has ever done with Eubank Jr.
Yes, he took him down – we all know that.
Somehow, however, the former super welterweight has performed a super rare in the ring, let alone against someone as tough as Eubank.
When Roy Jones Jr Said…
When Roy Jones Jr spoke up, the cheating rumor increased speed and momentum. In response to Eddie Hearn’s criticism of Jones’ coaching acumen, Jones posted on Instagram:
“All martial artists! Avoid Roy Jones Jr as a coach! Never mind this elbow. Just avoid him. Damn, if I could get all that out of a boxer through training, no wonder I did so many bad things in my day! That’s almost like God’s qualities, And I’m not near God!”
Killer line?
‘Never mind the elbow.’
In one line we see the shaping of a rematch story. Rumors are running low for now, but we could soon see the floodgates as Eubank Jr and his legendary coach take it to Liam Smith in upcoming press conferences.
We have not heard the end of this.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury – Arise
Now it’s over for you, the jury. You have heard the arguments.
Is Liam Smith a man of honor who won the contest by the rules to prove to all his followers that he was the better man?
Or was Eubank Jr the victim of an illegal, calculated attack, an attack that destroyed both his reputation and honor, costing him a shattered career?
You decide.
