CHRIS EUBANK JUNIOR delivered a mixed display to defeat the 29-year-old Welshman, Liam Williams, in Cardiff this evening.
The victory, secured on points, was not quite as comfortable as it threatened to be, after Eubank had managed to knock Williams down in three of the opening four rounds.
That gave him an unassailable lead on the judges’ scorecards but it also proved to be a curse. It left him overconfident and somewhat lazy in the middle rounds as Williams fought his way back into it. Yet despite winning respect, Williams – following those three knockdowns – had little chance of winning the fight. Sure enough, he failed to, Eubank securing the win by unanimous verdict, impressing on all three judges’ cards. They scored it 116-109, 117-109 and 116-108 in Eubank’s favour.
The tone was set early.
Williams had started well, throwing his punches calmly, before Eubank floored him with a straight jab.
Eubank Jr is turning it on, Williams down for a third time! 💥#EubankJrWilliams | @Boxxer | @WassermanBoxing pic.twitter.com/5Jg4OYRjeq
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 5, 2022
Come the second, there was another knockdown this time a right hand doing the damage although a left arrived as a follow up.
The third knockdown arrived in the fourth. Williams had been going well in that round, getting through with his jabs but no matter what he tried, he kept getting countered with Eubank catching him off balance as Williams walked onto shots.
In the fifth, Williams continued to be taunted by Eubank, who goaded him forward, knowing his counter punches were having a devastating effect. Williams, however, kept his discipline and sneaked the round with a busier work rate.
The sixth and seventh also went his way, Eubank doing very little to impress the judges in these rounds. He was beginning to tire while Williams stalked him around the ring.
Yet the comeback ended in the 11th – Williams knocked down for the fourth time – this time controversially when he was basically pushed over when off balance.
Still, it counted. Eubank did not look back.
“I wanted to teach this man a lesson and I wanted to punish him,” said Eubank junior in the post match interview with Sky Sports.
Earlier this evening, Claressa Shields moved her professional record to 12 and 0 after a facile win over previously unbeaten Slovenian, Ema Kozin.
Shields, a two-time Olympic champion and three-weight world champion, boxed with composure and authority, seizing the centre of the ring in the opening round en route to the retention of her middleweight title.
From the first bell to the last, she did things her way, as Kozin repeatedly fell short with her punches.
With the first three rounds in the bag, the fourth was a step up in intensity as Shields hurt Kozin with a right over the top followed by some brutal body shots.
Her power was too much for Kozin to cope with. After four rounds, she had landed 76 shots to Kozin’s 20.
.@SavMarshall1 & @ClaressaShields clash in a huge argument! 😡
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 5, 2022
WE. NEED. THIS. FIGHT 🍿@BOXXER 💥 pic.twitter.com/BE005kArdf
The onslaught continued in the fifth, Shields varying her attack between head and body, the Slovenian 23-year-old holding on to see out the round. To be fair, Shields helped her cause to an extent by smothering her work when really she needed to pick and choose her punches a little more carefully.
Nonetheless, this was an easy win. She was too fast, too strong for her 23-year-old opponent winning by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 100-90 to Shields.
“I give myself an A- for that performance,” said Shields afterwards. “I broke her down, working hard at the body, I won every single round but the only thing I didn’t do was get the knock out.
“I felt the stoppage would come in rounds six or seven – even in round five I was breaking her down.
“I thought her corner would throw in the towel but she stayed in there. Savannah Marshall, that is the fight I want next.”
It looks like happening. Marshall was at ringside and got involved in a predictable verbal spat afterwards with her rival. “I would wipe the floor with her going by that performance,” said Marshall.
“I will give you hell,” replied Shields.
That fight has yet to be formally made – but you couldn’t help sense that the promotional campaign has just begun.
Thst last round was embarrassing for Eubank.
Showboating. Would have been great to see him Sparked out. “Jr” is 32. He has done nout
@Brian Les: he’s got a face you’d love to punch tbf
@Brian Les: Yeah any time he’s gone up against a really top fighter he’s lost. Lost to BJS and got schooled by Groves. He wants a world title shot but performances like that make promoters doubt he deserves it. He might give Andrade a bit of trouble but they are both counter punchers so it would be an awful fight. His only other option is Charlo who will smash him. Personally I’d love to see him move up to super middleweight so he can get a hidin from Canelo
@Phil Redmond: interesting his 2 defeats, a split decision which could have gone his way and a defeat to George Groves who was hard done by in his own defeat by Carl Froch in their first encounter. No shame in that, never going to move up to super middleweight as he’s a natural middleweight.
The tedium of his goading is a complete embarrasment.Will get found out.Where’s the Celtic Warrior when you need him?
The quality of a sky boxing bill has really plunged new depths.
@@aidoroch: They got to comfy just having to cover the Matchroom shows so when Eddie jumped ship to DAZN it left them up $hit creek with nothing to show
@@aidoroch: it’s sickening to listen to with Adam Smith’s biased commentary along it’s Mathew Maklins bullshlt scorecards. Given his links to Daniel Kinihan it shows how low sky sports are.
Yeah he was a disgrace in round 12. Totally disrespectful. One thing tho, I don’t know a lot about him, but he obviously grew up in a privileged environment. Yet still got into boxing, against the wishes of his old man. He must love the sport. It’s usually an escape route from poverty
He’s not up to it and never was and now he’s 32 his best bet is to goad BJS into giving him a rematch