Chris Eubank Jr and his team are considering launching a shock appeal to the British Boxing Board of Control over what they believe was an elbow from Liam Smith.
Eubank was stopped for the first time in his professional career on Saturday night, after he was dropped twice in the fourth round in emphatic fashion before the referee waved the fight off.
It was a brutal performance by Smith, who went into the fight, which many believed would go the distance regardless of who came out on top, as the underdog.
In the ring after the bout, Eubank was gracious in defeat and indicated he intented to activate the rematch clause, though it’s now expected he will take a few weeks to consider his options.
However, Eubank and his team believe he was caught by an elbow from Smith, one that led to the first knockdown, and promoter Kalle Sauerland confirmed an appeal is an option.
“We are looking at it,” he told Sky Sports.
Eubank and trainer Roy Jones Jr received criticism after the fight, with Eddie Hearn among those to claim that Eubank looked lost in the ring and has had his strengths nullified by the partnership.
Jones hit back at those comments on Instagram, drawing attention himself to what he perceived to be an elbow from Smith.
He posted: “Avoid Roy Jones Jr as a trainer! Never mind this elbow…… Just avoid him - Damn, If I can take all that away from a fighter via training, no wonder I raised so much hell in my day!!”
Ahead of the fight, Eubank drew attention to Smith potentially using an elbow or a headbutt to gain an advantage in the fight, though suggested it was something that he took confidence from.
“I’m just saying, I like when I see guys doing the headbutting and the elbowing, because that means that they’re not true, and when the going gets tough they look for ways out, they look for ways that they’re not supposed to use,” Eubank said on the The Gloves Are Off.
“You’re reading that all wrong,” Smith responded. “I’ll do anything I can to beat you, anything. It’s a fight, it’s a called a fight.”
