A crackling atmosphere inside Manchester Arena awaits the headline bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith in an acrimonious super-middleweight contest on Saturday.
Earlier in the evening, heavyweight contender Joseph Parker ground to a unanimous points victory over game local opponent Jack Massey.
The Sporting News will provide live results and analysis from Eubank vs. Smith. Stay tuned!
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith live results, updates
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.
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?
- Date: Saturday, January 21
- Start time: 1 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT*
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT*
- Main event: 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT*
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.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith price: How much does the card cost
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99 in the U.S.
- DAZN annual subscription: $99.99 in the U.S.
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
- Chris Eubank Jr vs. Liam Smith
- Richard Riakporhe def. Krzysztof Glowacki
- Joseph Parker def. Jack Massey
- Ekow Essuman def. Chris Kongo for the Commonwealth, IBF European, and WBC International Silver welterweight titles
- Frazer Clarke def. Kevin Espindola
- Matty Harris def. Jiri Surmanj
- Scott Forrest def. Amine Boucetta