Chris Eubank Jr delivers fresh verdict on retirement ahead of Liam Smith rematch
Chris Eubank Jr will refuse to consider retiring from boxing - even if he loses his summer rematch with Liam Smith.
Eubank Jr suffered a devastating defeat to grudge rival Smith earlier this year after being dropped and stopped in a powerful display from the Liverpudlian. Despite the loss, the 33-year-old had access to a contracted rematch clause, but first explored his options including a rescheduled showdown with Conor Benn.
However after electing to move away from a shot at Benn, Eubank Jr has decided to activate his clause and pursue redemption in a second fight on June 17 at the Manchester Arena. Defeat would be the fourth of his professional career and would see him further away than ever from the middleweight world title picture.
But he has defiantly insisted that discussing retirement prior to his clash with Smith would show weakness as he begins his new journey to revenge. No, no," he quickly replied when asked by Mirror Fighting if retirement was on the cards if he loses again. "I’m not travelling down that road again in terms of entertaining that word and that thought process, it is unhealthy.
"It doesn’t benefit me in any way, shape or form. I see it as weakness and so yes, I’m not entertaining that. Like I say retirement is not in my mindset, so there is no hanging around, I’m going to be fighting and I’m going to be winning and I’m going to becoming a world champion.
Chris Eubank Jr set for second Liam Smith fight after activating rematch clause
"If and when a fight with Conor Benn comes about again, we’ll close that path when it comes. But yes, we’re not hanging around, we’re reaching the goals that we set out to reach and that’s what I’m going to do over the next few years after I take care of Smith."
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Eubank Jr has previously lost to Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves but could still have some big domestic dust-ups on the line even if he loses including a lucrative showdown with Benn. He has also frequently spoken about stepping back in the ring with Saunders, given the pair still regularly continue their fierce feud.
Despite the prospect of a new rivalry forming with Benn before the end of his career, the ex-world champion believes his rival needs to regain his British licence before any showdown can be rearranged. He continued: "We don’t need to talk about how far apart, how far I was, we were in talks when I had to weigh up my options and I decided against it.
"Clear as day, get his British Boxing Licence back so that he can fight in the UK, so that we can do it where the fight makes the most sense, where we can, where it’s supposed to happen. Not in the Middle East or you know, when there’s all these things going on about, he has to clear his name."
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