Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith Clash is Possibility, Says Shalom
Chris Eubank could face Liam Smith next, although promoter Ben Shalom says the time is now for Eubank to be fighting for world titles.
While signed to Wasserman, Eubank still has at least one fight left on a contract with BOXXER and Sky Sports.
Eubank is ranked No 1 by the WBA at middleweight, while he is No 3 and 4 with the WBC and WBO respectively. But if a world title fight cannot be made for this year, Shalom says he would like him to face former WBO super welterweight champion Liam Smith, who is on a good run of form having beaten Anthony Fowler and Jessie Vargas in his last two fights.
“We want Chris to fight for a world title or Liam Smith next, those are the two most obvious routes,” Shalom said.
“Liam has looked really good in his last two fights and I think he fancies it at 160. Liam Smith, a world title and then the bigger fights will come for Chris.
“He needs to just get in there, he is in his prime, now is the time for world titles for him if there ever was one.”
There had been talk of Eubank – who last boxed when beating Liam Williams in February - fighting Kell Brook, until the former IBF welterweight champion announced his retirement.
“I’m kind of glad the Kell Brook thing didn’t happen because Kell Brook should have retired, and for Chris’s sake, I think he is really talented enough to win a world title.
“I know that financially the Kell Brook fight made sense, but he is good enough to win a world title and that would hang over him. The time is now.”
Eubank, 32, did hold the WBA interim middleweight title (a title the WBA since abolished under their promise to reduce the number of belts) and also held an IBO belt at super-middleweight. Apart from that, his one shot at a generally recognized world title came when he lost to George Groves for the WBA super middleweight title as part of the World Boxing Super Series in 2018.
