Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith | SKY PPV - 21 January 2023

[CaptainSpacerod]

How many buys did Junior do on ITV ppv that time when he fought for that “world title”. I reckon Jr v Smith would do round about the same number

How would you even start to convince your casual mates to splurge £20 on this fight - it has no real significance or importance on any level really. The ironic thing is that it could be an absolute cracker of a fight the way their styles would gel

[KiwiRider]

How many buys did Junior do on ITV ppv that time when he fought for that “world title”. I reckon Jr v Smith would do round about the same number

How would you even start to convince your casual mates to splurge £20 on this fight - it has no real significance or importance on any level really. The ironic thing is that it could be an absolute cracker of a fight the way their styles would gel

Yes it could be good, I'll look forward to watching it later for free.
They are starting to take the piss with these relentless PPVs.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Yes it could be good, I'll look forward to watching it later for free.
They are starting to take the piss with these relentless PPVs.

It seems like the dams have burst now Kiwi and pretty soon PPV fights will be as commonplace in the UK as they are in the US.

I don’t quite understand how the PPV business model is sustainable though. You’ve got to assume that younger fans, who are the future of the sport, are overwhelmingly streaming fights for free and as even middle aged not particularly internet savvy guys like me begin to find out how to access free streams then surely PPV revenue will get smaller and smaller

[KiwiRider]

Yes it could be good, I'll look forward to watching it later for free.
They are starting to take the piss with these relentless PPVs.

It seems like the dams have burst now Kiwi and pretty soon PPV fights will be as commonplace in the UK as they are in the US.

I don’t quite understand how the PPV business model is sustainable though. You’ve got to assume that younger fans, who are the future of the sport, are overwhelmingly streaming fights for free and as even middle aged not particularly internet savvy guys like me begin to find out how to access free streams then surely PPV revenue will get smaller and smaller

But how come a guy like Jake Paul with savvy young fans makes a packet from ppv fights?
Surely they are the ones to stream his joke matches?
I just wait a few days because if you pay for these relentless PPVs, your only encouraging it.

[CaptainSpacerod]

I think it’s just a numbers game. Jake has 21m instagram followers and I assume he’s fairly adept at keeping them fascinated by his every move, if just 1% of those buy his fight that’s 200k buys.

Eubank and Smith have 800k insta followers between them and their insta fans probably don’t have the same level of devotion to them as Jake’s fans do to him.

It’s a crazy fcuking world we live in

[tonyevs]

I just wait a few days because if you pay for these relentless PPVs, your only encouraging it.

Totally agree
However - I have argued this since the 90's and it's just got worse

Nobody builds things anymore - everyone wants a cash grab.

*Off topic here; but has boxing improved in take up or quality since the 90's?

I'd argue it hasn't. My two local amateur boxing gyms struggle to have enough carded boxers to fill their own shows. The quality of boxers is being upstaged by YouTubers where even established boxers like Eubank Jr, Carl Froch and Tony Bellend are chasing them.

[Ruthless-RKO]

SOURCE: Eubank Vs Smith Fight Planned To Take Place On The 21st Of January At Manchester’s AO Arena

Eubank vs Smith Opens The 2023 Calendar Year For BOXXER And Sky Sports Boxing

A source has told NoSmokeBoxing that contracts haven’t been signed yet but if the highly-anticipated 160-pound domestic clash between Brighton’s Chris Eubank Jr (32-2, 23 KOs) and Liverpool’s Liam Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) gets finalised, it will take place on Saturday 21st of January, 2023 at the 20,000-capacity AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Eubank vs Smith will headline a major BOXXER event on a Sky Sports platform. Various reports have suggested that the middleweight fight will land on Sky Sport’s pay-per-view platform: Sky Sports Box Office at an undetermined price point.

Should Eubank Smith be on PPV, it would be the first of two BOXXER PPVs in a 3-week period with the rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall on February 4 also expected to be a box office offering.

KSI is also expected to compete on DAZN PPV on Jan 14 likely against Joe Fournier and the 3-belt light heavyweight championship contest between Artur Beterbiev and Anthony Yarde may also be a BT Sport PPV event on Jan 28.

There will be clarity on both events over the weekend but that could mark 4 British boxing PPVs in 4 consecutive weekends, albeit KSI’s audience is different. With the current financial climate being the way it is, this is definitely less than ideal, to say the least.

[samwbr]

Confirmed. Manchester.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Boxerbeetle]

Yet another PPV. Supposed to be a cost of living crisis on, isn’t there

[fizzjambo]

Yet another PPV. Supposed to be a cost of living crisis on, isn’t there

Surely to feck this can’t be PPV?

[Boxerbeetle]

Yet another PPV. Supposed to be a cost of living crisis on, isn’t there

Surely to feck this can’t be PPV?

That’s what it says. Sky Box Office. Absolute jokers.

[jameswilson]

Please let’s see some big bids for some quality undercard fights going in.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith is officially on! Get ready for the ultimate New Year’s bash as two of Britain’s best boxers collide on Saturday, January 21st at the AO Arena in Manchester.

The middleweight rivals go head-to-head in a grudge match bout at BOXXER: Unleashed – in association with Wasserman Boxing and live and exclusively in the UK and Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports Box Office.

Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) heads into this pay-per-view clash in the form of his life following wins over Jesse Vargas, Anthony Fowler and Roberto Garcia.

And after his winning BOXXER debut in September, Smith immediately set his sights on Eubank Jr as he plots his path to becoming a world champion for a second time.

Smith, 34, memorably went toe-to-toe with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2016 and comes from a proud, illustrious bloodline of champions including brothers Paul Smith Jr, Stephen Smith and Callum Smith.

Eubank Jr (32-2-0, 23 KOs) is a man whose family name needs no introduction at all. Son of legendary former world champion Chris Eubank, the 33-year-old has successfully carved out his own reputation in the sport.

But in Smith, Eubank Jr faces one the toughest tests of his stellar career. The Brighton-based fighter was a former IBO world title holder and is entering his prime, intent on starting the new year in style.

Eager to step back inside the ropes after his proposed October bout with Conor Benn was postponed, Eubank Jr last fought in February when he comfortably outclassed Liam Williams in Cardiff with an impressive unanimous decision points victory.

Chris Eubank Jr said: “Has he been in there with some good fighters? Yes. Are they on my level? No. He's a competent fighter, but class beats competence every day of the week. It's a good opportunity for me to show I'm twice the fighter that he is as well as those he has faced.

“Manchester is an iconic sporting city. It has hosted many legendary fight nights and many memorable fighters have been born there. It'll be a great performance, and the Eubank name will hopefully become a regular feature whenever the boxing history of Manchester is discussed.”

Smith said: “He’s making a big mistake fighting me. Every time he has stepped up to elite level, he has failed. I am elite and he will fall again on January 21st in Manchester.

“If he was at 60% for the fight that never was against Conor Benn, then he’ll need to be at 160% to be ready to face me, a former world champion, in front of thousands of my fans in the North-West.

“For Chris this is a high-risk, low-reward. For me, it’s the perfect platform to show I will rule the world again in 2023. He needs to be prepared for the toughest night of his career.”

BOXXER CEO & Founder, Ben Shalom said: “What a way to start the new year. This is the fight that British boxing fans have been calling for.

“There aren’t many bigger names in the sport than Chris Eubank Jr, who many believe is coming into his prime now. This is his biggest fight in recent memory against a truly world class fighter Liam Smith. Liam is proven at world level and in the form of his life. Many will feel that he is the favorite going into this.

“It will be a huge occasion for British boxing and we’re delighted to bring this mouthwatering event to the fans in the iconic fight city of Manchester.”

Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland, said: "Eubank vs Smith is a fight that has been talked about for a very long time. It's an absolute banger of a boxing bonanza to kick off a huge year for the undisputed superstar of the middleweights Chris Eubank Jr, in a year in which we expect him to take over the division.

“The journey begins in the amazing fight city of Manchester which has been host to so many historic British blockbusters, on January 21 live on Sky Box Office we will witness the next one."

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think it’ll be the usual £19.95

[TheLeprechaun]

If I had to put a tenner on it, I'd put it on Smith. Eubank was losing rounds to Williams. Smith keeps things basic as that's all he knows but he has decent output and a decent guard. He's the new Ricky Burns of British boxing. Eubank is caught between styles and should be losing rounds on the backfoot without realising it like he was with Williams. I think Smith is tough enough to go the distance. If Eubank comes at him full force like he has in the past and I'd fancy him but he isn't doing that lately.

[Glass Joe]

Busy January than usual. This and the yarde fight.

[pinklady]

what weight limit is it ?

[Dioufy]

what weight limit is it ?

155lbs.
Rehydration clause on fight day 148lbs.

[Dioufy]

It’s at middle so Smith moving up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[coneye]

I'm not a big fan of the Eubank under Jones Roy was just natural you can't teach Eubank to box similar he' just does'nt have the same ability , Smith boxes well but boxes basic , i think if Eubank does what comes naturally to him its gonna be a real good fight , Not gonna try and pick a winner , because i think Eubank is better than a lot give him credit for

BUT I STILL WOULD NOT BUY IT ,,, I'm just against ppv unless there absolute not to be missed with not to be missed undercards , to an extent i think the yank ppv's can be fair enough , simply because you can get some real good world title fights and real good undercards with up and comers , boxing hard good opposition ,, British well say no more ,, and Aussie ppv , foook me over here its usually two rugby players having a hard spar , or the local boxing a thai who's had his passport confiscated never to be returned if he hits back. and the reason i'm so against the ppv is i already pay a subscription to fox so it should be free , I'm not paying twice ,,, so i just simply stream , alwys seemed to find one .

Whats more i don't feel bad about it , i've been told its people like me who make it hard for the boxers ,, my answer to that is its people like Fury wanting millions for an easy nights work that add to the ppv problem

[jameswilson]

It’s at middle so Smith moving up.

He’s comfortable at middle to be fair and Eubank ain’t a big middleweight. I reckon Canelo and Munguia would have been bigger in the ring when Smith fought them than what Eubank will be.

[Dioufy]

It’s at middle so Smith moving up.

He’s comfortable at middle to be fair and Eubank ain’t a big middleweight. I reckon Canelo and Munguia would have been bigger in the ring when Smith fought them than what Eubank will be.

And he lost both easily. Smith is a light middle whereas Eubank is a genuine middle.
Size will be the deciding factor here.
Eubank 7-5.

[Boxerbeetle]

Eubank pretty much only fights guys moving up, doesn’t he