Kell Brook has provisionally picked a winner in the upcoming middleweight competition between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith – and his ex Amir Khan agrees.
After the failed Conor Benn match, Eubank finally had an opponent set up for almost a year after he was last in the ring with Liam Williams in Cardiff.
Smith fought twice this year – a very good win over Jesse Vargas in New York, and a match against Hassan Mwakinyo did little to help his progress.
Kell Brook, who retired this year after a career-defining win over Amir Khan, had his say in the fight – confident about who he wanted to win, less about who would win. The former world champion explained to King of Boxing Media.
“I think it was a good fight. It is a [that] I will definitely be watching. He’s not my cup of tea, Chris Eubank, I think we all know that. I want Liam Smith to win. I believe he will win. I’m leaning on that because he underestimated Liam Smith.”
Despite the bad blood, Brook continued to praise Eubank – something like that. He also admitted that his bias towards the Brighton man could be what made him lean towards Smith for the win, but left his pick unchanged.
“You know he can punch, Eubank. He has a great engine. He’s not the best boxer in the world. It was a good fight. It was a match they fought. That’s a good question what you just told me. Probably [because I don’t like Eubank] That’s part of my answer. I do not know. I think it’s a difficulty. But I think Liam can do it.”
Brook’s thoughts will echo the thoughts of many fans who are struggling to call this one. Both men are of similar age and have failed in the past. Now, with the world titles on their minds, this fight is either a success or a failure.
Brook’s one-time rival, Amir Khan, agrees with Smith’s choice. The former unified world champion chose ‘Beefy’ over Eubank due to his experience in the gym with the Liverpool man.
“I trained with Liam Smith, a hard worker, a very hard worker. He was my practice partner when I played against Canelo. He’s a tough fighter, especially when he’s attacking you, he has a lot of pressure, puts out some great shots and hits pretty hard.
I had Liam win that fight. While many would support the younger boxer in Chris Eubank Jr, I just feel the experience in this case will be worth it.
The predictions probably suggest the 50/50 nature of the fight, with many fans opting instead for Eubank to take it. For what it’s worth, the bookie’s initial odds see him as the favorite and Smith as the slightly underdog.
