Chris Eubank Jr triggers Liam Smith rematch clause | Boxing News

Chris Eubank Jr has activated a rematch clause and will fight Liam Smith again later this year.

Smith stopped Eubank Jr with a vicious fourth-round knockout when the British rivals faced off in a defining night for their respective careers at Manchester Arena in January.

Eubank Jr’s promotional team initially suggested they were considering lodging an appeal to the British Boxing Board of Control, after alleging that Smith made contact with an elbow during the decisive flurry of shots that resulted in the first knockdown.

But Eubank Jr did have a rematch clause in his contract for the Liam Smith fight so always had the option of forcing a repeat showdown with his rival.

Kalle Sauerland, Wasserman’s head of global boxing, revealed after the initial fight that they had “a few weeks” to make a decision over the possible rematch, with Eubank Jr now confirming the clause has been activated.

“Chris was up a round on my card,” Sauerland previously told Sky Sports.

“He just came off a very good third round. The first round he probably just edged. The second round was Liam, the third round was Chris’, a very clear round and then he caught one. It happens. That’s boxing.

“Can he do it again? I’d like to see that. A lot of people would like to see that.”

Anfield, the home of Liverpool football club, is an option to host the rematch.

“If we can make sure the event takes place near enough to the last game of the season which I think is on the weekend of [May] 21, then there is a possibility,” Ben Shalom, Smith’s promoter, previously told Sky Sports.

“If we were able to get Anfield it would be the end of May.”