The famous trainer of Chris Eubank Jr 32-2 (23) believes his boxer could defeat Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith 32-3-1 (19) without him when they meet at the AO Arena in Manchester, England on January 21.
Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr was in the 33-year-old’s corner for his last fight against Liam ‘The Machine’ Williams 24-4-1 (19) in Wales almost a year ago. Eubank Jr had Williams on the canvas four times but couldn’t put him away, winning a comfortable 12-round unanimous decision.
The plan, according to Jones Jr, is to use Smith as an opponent that they can practice new tactics on as they push for a world title shot against either WBA and IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin 42-2-1 (37) or undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 58-2-2 (39).
“For Liam Williams or Liam Smith, Chris doesn’t need me to beat these guys because the fighting Chris Eubank can beat both of these guys,” Jones Jr told Sky Sports’ Toe2Toe boxing podcast.
“However, he doesn’t bring me in for these particular fighters, he brings me here to help him get better prepared for names like GGG or Canelo.
“When you go with these guys, you can’t be the old Chris that just goes out and lets his hands go, you’ve got to be a tactician, you’ve got to have a little bit more knowledge behind what you’re doing.
“He’s looking down the line at the bigger fights where he knows he’s going to need more than just blasting people out with combinations, that won’t work against these bigger guys, against Canelo or GGG.”
Smith, 34, is a career junior middleweight who won the WBO 154-pound crown in 2015 and made two successful title defence before losing the belt to Alvarez by ninth-round stoppage the following year.
The Eubank Jr fight will be contested at 160-pounds. Jones Jr sees that as a major factor going into this fight.
“[Eubank Jr] is bigger than Liam Smith and if he’s bigger than Liam Smith, then a toe-to-toe fight is in his favour because he’s the bigger fighter,” Jones Jr said.
“He’s been fighting super middleweights and middleweights, Liam Smith has been fighting junior middleweights and middleweights, so Chris is definitely the bigger fighter.
“It all depends on how the fight goes, or how Chris chooses to fight the fight. If Liam comes in early and engages with Chris and Chris hurts him, it’s going to be a problem because Chris is the bigger fighter.
“At the same time, I think down the stretch is where Chris really gains momentum, because the longer the fight goes, the better it usually is for the bigger fighter.”
Jones Jr knows that Eubank Jr will need an emphatic victory to gain the attention of Golovkin and Alvarez.
“I think he [Eubank Jr] brings a lot to the table anyway, however, I feel like a good fight against Liam Smith would definitely make them say, ‘okay here’s a guy who’s worthy, who has a name, who has a whole country behind him’,” he said.
“Because if he beats Liam, he’s clearly the best middleweight on this side of the pond, so now let’s bring the best middleweights from that side of the pond, or wherever they’re from, and let’s make it happen.
“So I think a good win, and a stoppage for sure, definitely makes people have to open their eyes and realise he’s definitely a contender and deserves a shot.”
