Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Smith: Eubank Jr fancied to triumph over Smith

British boxing is back this weekend for Chris Eubank Jr versus Liam Smith in a huge national clash at the AO Arena, Manchester.

The rest of the card is equally mouth-watering, with Ekow Essuman facing off against Chris Kongo with three welterweight belts up for grabs.

We preview the best of the action below.

Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Smith

Chris Eubank Jr has become a household name as the former IBO super-middleweight and British middleweight champion and has made his mark on the British boxing scene. His record stands at 32-2 with 23 of those victories coming by knockout, a statistic even most heavyweights would envy.

Many fans were disappointed when his highly anticipated bout with Conor Benn was cancelled. However, ‘Next Gen’ Eubank Jr will get down to business this weekend when he faces off against Liam Smith in a bid to extend his six-fight win streak.

Eubank Jr is 2/5 before the opening bell, with a decision win looking the most likely outcome for him at 6/5. This is no doubt due to Smith’s endurance and resilience, with the only fighter to have put his lights out being Saul Alvarez, who he fought in 2016.

Liam Smith is a formidable opponent and boasts a record of 32-3-1 while being ranked as the fifth best super-welterweight boxer in the world. Smith has also been a world champion, claiming the WBO light-middleweight title from 2015-2016 and successfully defending the belt twice.

The Scouser is known for his relentless pressure, and much like his opponent has had his fair share of knockouts, with 19 of his 32 wins coming by stoppage. Smith is 2/1 to come out on top with his most likely path to victory being the judge’s scorecards at 10/3.

To upset his odds as the underdog, Smith will undoubtedly need to force Eubank Jr to fight the bout on his terms and use his pressure to force Eubank Jr to engage rather than letting him dance around the ring and pick off shots. It is also worth noting that Eubank Jr’s last loss came from the same arena in Manchester, which may bode well for Smith.

On balance, this should be a thoroughly entertaining bout between two men at the top of their class. The fight is anticipated to go the distance with odds of 2/7 that the fight lasts over 9.5 rounds and 5/2 that someone will get the job done sooner.

Check out all the latest betting odds at William Hill

Ekow Essuman v Chris Kongo

Ekow Essuman is the current British, Commonwealth and IBF European welterweight champion, and will be putting all three belts on the line when he faces off against Chris Kongo this weekend. His current record shows him having won all 18 of his fights with seven knockouts.

Essuman heads into this bout as the slight 4/5 favourite, which is no surprise given his three title defences so far, with the most recent being when he battered Samuel Antwi last September at this very arena.

Considering Kongo’s only loss came by decision and Essuman has won only two of his last five fights by knockout, backing Essuman at 11/8 to win by decision wouldn’t be a terrible bet. Equally a show stopping knockout would pay well here at 5/1.

Chris ‘2 Slick’ Kongo will need to be on top form to get the better of his undefeated opponent, but crazier upsets have happened in boxing.  Kongo’s record is impressive regardless of the loss tainting it at 14-1, and having won both of his fights last year since then, he looks on the up.

The EVS underdog possesses a two-inch height advantage so will be the slightly more dominant presence in the ring. Following his last bout, Kongo picked up the WBC Silver International welterweight title and will look to pick up some even more impressive belts this weekend.

Speaking ahead of the fight, Kongo hinted that his team had noticed a potential tell or weakness from Essuman’s last fight which “we’re due to capitalise on”. He also shared his excitement to challenge for some belts and claims to be prepared for both a tactical bout and an all-out war.

Although Kongo poses a real threat, Essuman’s untainted record and belts speak of his calibre in the ring and he will be the man to beat. It’s highly likely the judges opinion will be needed, with the odds of the fight lasting over 10.5 rounds at 2/7.

Check out all the latest boxing betting odds at William Hill