Eubank Jr vs Smith presser goes from business to personal as fighters trade insults
If Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith weren’t friends before, they certainly aren’t now.
Today’s final press conference for this weekend’s British collision between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith turned a little ugly as the fighters began talking about their impending battle, but soon started taking personal digs at one another. Everything seemed to be business as usual until Eubank Jr mentioned Smith “sliding in his DMs”.
“You slid into my DMs,” Eubank Jr said during an exchange with Smith. “You sent me a direct message. I’m used to seeing girls in my DMs, I’m not used to seeing guys I’m about to fight.”
“You’re going on about girls, mate. Has anyone in this room ever seen you with a girl?” Smith shot back. “Have you got something to tell us, really? Because you’re 33, you said on the program when you’ll have kids. For no laughs, no nothing, do you want to tell us something? You’re putting pictures up of Neymar in limousines. Do you want to tell us something?” Smith continued. “Because nobody in this room has ever seen you with a woman.”
After a few more comments between the fighters Eubank Jr would then crown Smith, albeit not in the most positive light.
“I used to think Tony Bellew was the biggest asshole to come out of Liverpool,” Eubank Jr said. “But I think at this stage, now, Liam has definitely taken that No. 1 spot. It’s impressive.”
After the promoters would then shift the discussion away from the fighters to the trainers for a period of time, both Eubank Jr and Smith would start getting into again, and not about their boxing.
“Shall we talk about your hairline?” Smith asked Eubank Jr. “I’m grey. I’m very happy I’m grey. I went grey quite early. Shall we talk about your hair, or your beard? What do you want to talk on?...What have you done with your hair?
“Come on, just tell them” Smith continued, insinuating that Eubank Jr has undergone some cosmetic procedures.
“You’re asking me if I’m gay, you’re talking about my beard and my hair — I have a great barber, I can introduce you if you want,” Eubank Jr responded.
“Your barber tattooed your hair,” Smith said.
“If you want to get personal with it, if you want to get dark and personal with it — talking about being gay and do I like girls — I’ve been told by multiple sources that you cheat on your wife on the occassion,” Eubank Jr replied. “So let’s just relax with the personal stuff. I’d rather be gay than a cheat, how about that.”
“You don’t got a misses to cheat on,” Smith shot back.
At this point the promoters tried to bring things back to some semblance of parliamentary procedure, but by this point Eubank Jr said a line had already been crossed and there’s no going back.
“There’s no lines anymore,” Eubank Jr said. “We’re here now, let’s do this. Lines have been thrown out now...I’ve always wanted to win this fight by knockout. The fact that Liam is being a child up here is, yeah, gives me a little bit extra incentive to go out there and embarrass him. But the goal is always to go out there and stop my opponent.”