The long-awaited second encounter between fierce middleweight rivals Liam "Beefy" Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. has been rescheduled, and they will now face off at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, on Saturday, September 2nd.
Unfortunately, a previously scheduled date for the rematch had to be postponed due to Smith sustaining a minor injury during his training camp. As the months have passed, the intensity of their rivalry has escalated, adding further anticipation to their upcoming encounter.
At 34, Liam Smith is a year older than his rival and was considered a 2-1 underdog when he faced Eubank in January of 2023. Despite the odds, “Beefy” delivered an impressive fourth-round stoppage victory. Eubank, who had a rematch clause in his contract, wasted no time in declaring his intention to invoke it. Although there was some speculation about Eubank facing Conor Benn instead, the pursuit of revenge has prevailed.
Smith is quite confident in his ability to defeat Eubank once again. If Smith emerges victorious, Eubank’s career could be left in a precarious position, with no clear path forward. While the first Smith-Eubank showdown generated some criticism for being a pay-per-view event, the rematch is expected to follow suit. It remains to be seen how many viewers will tune in for the gripping rematch.
Watch Smith vs. Eubank Jr. first fight highlights: Watch
Among the undercard attractions, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Bronze medalist Frazer Clarke is set to lock horns with Dave Allen in a ten-round heavyweight bout. The undefeated Clarke (7-0, 5 KOs) from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was last seen in action in June 2023, securing a points decision victory over Mariusz Wach. Meanwhile, Allen (21-5-2, 18 KOs) of Doncaster, Yorkshire, enjoyed his fourth consecutive win in February when he halted Michael Bassett in the first round.
Moreover, Adam Azim (8-0, 6 KOs) is poised to square off against Aram Fanyan (22-1, 4 KOs). Their original June face-off had been postponed due to an injury sustained by Azim.
Ukrainian fighter Fanyan is looking to challenge the rising British star, Azim. After recovering from a severe hand injury, the young prodigy Azim is more than ready to make his mark in what promises to be one of the year's biggest boxing events.
Adding to the excitement of the Smith vs. Eubank 2 undercard, Florian Marku (12-0-1, 7 KOs) and Dylan Moran (18-1, 8 KOs) will go head-to-head in a ten-round welterweight fight.
Furthermore, an all-British super middleweight contest between Mark Heffron (29-2-1, 23 KOs) and Jack Cullen (21-4-1, 9 KOs) will be one to watch. After an injury setback, a fully-fit Heffron is set to put his titles on the line against ‘Little Lever's Meat Cleaver’, with both fighters eager to leave their mark.
In addition, 2020 Olympic Silver medalist Ben Whittaker (4-0, 3 KOs) from West Bromwich, West Midlands, is slated to compete in a light heavyweight bout against an opponent yet to be named.
Fight card:
▪️Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr., rematch, 12 rounds, middleweight ▪️Adam Azim vs. Aram Fanyan, 10 rounds, junior welterweight ▪️Frazer Clarke vs. Dave Allen, 10 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Mark Heffron vs. Jack Cullen, 12 rounds, for Heffron’s British super middleweight titles ▪️Mikaela Mayer vs. Silvia Bortot, 10 rounds, female junior welterweight ▪️Florian Marku vs. Dylan Moran, 10 rounds, welterweight ▪️Lauren Price vs. Lolita Muzeya, 8 rounds, female welterweight ▪️Frankie Stringer vs. Engel Gomez, 6 rounds, lightweight
