Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith live fight updates, results, highlights as Richard Riakporhe produces KO
Kongo #Kongo
By the end of the first knockout defeat of his career, Chris Eubank Jr was punch-drunk, arguing with the referee after being stunned by a scintillating fourth-round display from Liam Smith to which the pre-fight favourite had no answer.
Cheered on by a 20,000 crowd in Manchester, many of whom had travelled from Liverpool, Smith kept his composure from the start and ended a week of bitter acrimony with a devastating ending to keep his hopes of contending for titles again alive.
More to follow
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Eubank vs. Smith
The Sporting News will provide live results and analysis from Eubank vs. Smith. Stay tuned!
MORE: Best bets, expert picks for Eubank Jr. vs. Smith
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith live results, updates
Round 4: Liam Smith knocks out Chris Eubank Jr!
Round 3: Eubank Jr dominates this round, landing with combinations of uppercuts and jabs.
He grits his teeth as the bell sounds, while Liam Smith looks unruffled, happy enough to bide his time and wait for openings.
SN unofficial scorecard: Chris Eubank Jr 10-9 Liam Smith (29-28)
Round 2: Chris Eubank Jr is struggling to solve the puzzle Liam Smith is setting him right now.
Smith keeps coming forward and tries to rock him in the Brightonian’s own blue corner at the end of the bell, but Eubank Jr is crafty enough to dodge the barrage.
Paul Smith is vociferously urging his younger brother on.
SN unofficial scorecard: Chris Eubank Jr 10-9 Liam Smith (19-19)
Round 1: Liam Smith has the most early success, sending Eubank Jr towards the ropes and catching him with a counter.
Eubank Jr grins at him – never a great sign for a fighter trying to look unruffled – then stares him down at the end of the round.
Eubank Jr’s nose is reddened. “Let him throw, lad,” comes the call from one of the many locals in the house.
SN unofficial scorecard: Chris Eubank Jr 9-10 Liam Smith (10-9 Liam Smith)
10.53 p.m.: Liam Smith, fighting out of the red corner, takes the centre of the ring and raises his hand as his name is red out.
Chris Eubank Jr grimaces, then stays in his corner and slowly raises his arm as his name is read out.
The staredowns are completed. The instructions are delivered. Liam Smith hugs a couple of his team. We’re almost ready.
10.48 p.m.: Here comes Chris Eubank Jr. His setlist begins with James Brown’s ‘I Got You’ and moves on to… you’ve guessed it, ‘Still D.R.E’.
Fairly loud boos are the dominant soundtrack as far as the crowd-created response is concerned. Eubank Jr is in white with red trim. His trainer, the legendary Roy Jones Jr, grins as he approaches and applauds as he leaps over the ropes.
Liam Smith has been shadow-boxing the whole time, staying on his feet.
10.44 p.m.: Liam Smith receives a loud and mixed reception as his name is called out. He heads through the corridors of the Manchester Arena while Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here, Right Now’ rings out.
Then it’s Jamie Webster’s ‘This Place’ and plumes of fake smoke as he takes centre stage. He’s clad in black with pink trim as he dips through the ropes and exchanges a few fistbumps through those gloves.
10.39 p.m.: The whole setlist is coming out. “Take that look from off your face” gets a loud rendition from the chorus, as does most of the chorus from Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’.
Jamie Carragher’s having a chuckle. Joleon Lescott’s on his feet. Ronnie Davies is in the ring from Chris Eubank Jr’s team, while Paul Smith has made his way to Liam Smith’s corner, bucket in hand.
10.34 p.m.: Ready for the main event? Of course you are, and so are about 20,000 people here inside the Manchester Arena.
There are boos as footage of Chris Eubank Jr flickers into shot on the screens above the ring. Is it necessary to report that Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ is playing and being gustily sung along to? Probably not.
Speaking of hits, here’s who Richard Riakporhe wants after that early stoppage of Kyzysztof Glowacki in the co-headline bout.
Round 4: Richard Riakporhe knocks out Krzysztof Glowacki!
Statement of intent. The finish of the night so far arrives as Riakporhe batters Glowacki into a corner, forcing Howard Foster to step in and end the punishment.
Could a crack at a cruiserweight title be on the cards? It’s definitely closer after that detonating display.
Round 3: Any hopes Riakporhe had that Glowacki will still be stunned by that right hand are snuffed out by his opponent’s recovery, trying to catch the home fighter again as he comes forward while occasionally looking vulnerable again.
Full marks to Glowacki for entertainment but he needs to avoid his approach coming at the expense of finding himself on any more massive shots.
SN unofficial scorecard: Riakporhe 10-9 Glowacki (30-28 Glowacki)
Round 2: Glowacki is struggling to get near to Riakporhe and has to show all of his durability after being caught with a concussive right!
Riakporhe senses an early finish and canters forward in an attempt to secure it, but Glowacki gathers himself and finishes the round.
SN unofficial scorecard: Riakporhe 10-9 Glowacki (19-19 Glowacki)
Round 1: You could make a case for the opening round going either way as both fighters feel each other out before Glowacki has some success with a right hand as the seconds close in.
SN unofficial scorecard: Riakporhe 9-10 Glowacki (9-10 Glowacki)
10 p.m.: Richard Riakporhe is likely to face his sternest test yet in his pursuit of a cruiserweight title.
Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki is a two-time WBO world champion. He’s heading to the ring in Black and green shorts, while Riakporhe has a blue and red theme to his colours – the 33-year-old is a Crystal Palace fan.
9.50 p.m.: Ekow Essuman beats Chris Kongo on points!
The scores on the cards are 114-114, 116-113 115-114. Essuman’s team look extremely relieved; Kongo will undoubtedly want a replay.
The champion retains his title. He certainly didn’t deserve to lose, but that was so tight.
9.48 p.m.: Chris Kongo approaches the side of the ring after a brutal 12 rounds.
A huge roar went up as Ekow Essuman landed a thudding right hand that momentarily shook Congo in the final round, but he held on.
It goes to the judges. There’s a case for this being a draw.
9.40 p.m.: An invested observer has a message for Eubank Jr tonight. A 19-year training camp, eh? Sounds brutal.
9.20 p.m.: Bermondsey’s Chris Kongo is perhaps having marginally the better of Nottingham title-holder Ekow Essuman, but it’s a really tricky one to call.
Ben Davison, in Kongo’s corner, has been resting his chin on his hands by the ropes and crouching forward in that familiar style of his. The inimitable former trainer to Tyson Fury is still standing in the ring when the bell goes for round six.
9 p.m.: Now here’s an intriguing fight with a bit of needle behind it: Chris Kongo is challenging Ekow Essuman for his welterweight title.
Kongo looks the faster man in the opening two minutes, finding success with a jab and getting on the front foot. Then he gets caught with a stinging right near the end of the round.
Legendary trainer Ronnie Davies, who was a constant presence in Chris Eubank Snr’s corner during his celebrated career, is receiving plenty of handshakes backstage. Davies is a hugely respected member of Eubank Jr’s team.
8.40 p.m.: Joseph Parker beats Jack Massey by unanimous decision
Not a performance that will have told the likes of Fury at the summit of the division anything they didn’t know about Joe Parker, but Massey emerges with significant credit from that.
8.38 p.m.: The crowd are on their feet as Joe Parker and Jack Massey produce a pulsating finish, trading frenetic blows against the rope before the bell sounds.
Parker leans out of the ring to receive a fist bump from Tyson Fury, who clearly thinks the tough New Zealander won that fight.
Footballer spot: former Manchester City and England defender Joleon Lescott has just taken his seat here.
8.35 p.m.: Just when Jack Massey lands with a couple of rights in the eighth round of the 10 this fight is scheduled for, he’s deducted a point.
There’s a bit of uncertainty over why that was, but you’d presume it was for holding. Massey was all-but attached to Parker as he pushed him back across the width of the ring and onto the ropes in an earlier round.
In Parker’s corner, the distinguished Andy Lee is urging his charge to pour in on, interspersed with advice to use his jab more. “Let’s go, Joe,” is the most frequent phrase the Irishman is uttering.
8.25 p.m. GMT: Parker has won all five of the rounds so far, you suspect, but Massey – without excessively labouring the point of the comparative difference in experience between the pair – has made much more of a fight of this than many had suspected.
Meanwhile, a less organised scrap has been averted outside of the ring…
8.05 p.m. GMT: We’ve seen Tyson Fury arrive at ringside. We’ve seen Liam Smith enter the building. And now we’re watching Joseph Parker and Jack Massey put on an entertaining heavyweight scrap.
It’s a huge step up for local lad Massey, who was working as a scaffolder when he received the call for this bout against the .
He’s held his own so far, though, connecting with a chunky jab at the end of the second round. Parker, on his part, has shown the ringcraft and heavy shots that made his such a tough opponent for Joe Joyce in September.
7.45 p.m. GMT: Frazer Clarke beats Kevin Espindola
The man who kindly gave us some of his time before this fight shows no such benevolence towards Espindola, who has his night waved off as he sits in his corner shaking his head at the end of the fourth round.
Clarke says he can’t wait to see his kids again as he discusses his victory. When he’s rather cheekily asked if they bought the pay-per-view, he chuckles and replies that he did.
Here’s that KO from Matty Harris!
7.15 p.m. GMT: The atmosphere is building and this arena is looking pretty full already. Giant Matty Harris has produced fireworks in the ring, stopping Jiri Surmanj in 90 seconds.
Next up, it’s Frazer Clarke against Kevin Espinola. You can read our interview with Clarke here!
6.45 p.m. GMT: Our first fight of the night is over!
Edinburgh-based Scott Forrest was a massive favourite against Belgian Amine Boucetta but he needed the scorecards to win a six-rounder 60-50.
Meanwhile, David Haye and Liam Smith’s brothers – Paul, Stephen and Callum – have all arrived in quick succession.
6.30 p.m. GMT: As well as our live updates, don’t forget to follow our dedicated channels on Twitter and Instagram for insights and reaction from tonight’s card and beyond.
They’re your essential boxing companions.
6 p.m. GMT: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of one of the most anticipated British boxing matches of 2023 so far, with two world title hopefuls and veterans of the Manchester Arena settling their differences in the headline event following an acrimonious build-up.
Here’s how the final face-off looked. Testy.
When is Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith?
Eubank Jr. vs Smith will take place on Saturday, January 21. The exact time of the main event ringwalks are subject to how long each previous bout takes.
Doors open at 6 p.m. local time for the fight, with the main card starting at 7 p.m., and ringwalks for the main event expected at around 10 p.m.
*Fight starts on Sunday, January 22 in Australia.
How to watch Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith Country Date Channel + Live Stream (main card) United States Sat. January 21 DAZN United Kingdom Sat. January 21 Sky Sports Box Office Australia Sun. January 22 Main Event on Kayo
The fight will be available to purchase on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK, while fans in the US can watch the fight live on DAZN.
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Eubank vs. Smith
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith price: How much does the card cost
A DAZN subscription costs $19.99 a month or $149.99 per year in the U.S.
On Sky Sports, the event costs £19.95 for U.K. buyers and €24.95 for Republic of Ireland customers until midnight on Friday, January 20, at which point it rises to £24.95 / €29.95 if booked by telephone.
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith results