THERE is sport and then there is the sport of boxing, a distinction never more pronounced than when taking in hand the high drama that occurred both in and out of the ring in the context of Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch against Liam “Beefy” Smith in Manchester last weekend.

Going in as the significant underdog — and justifiably so given the way Smith mercilessly stopped him in the 4th round of their first fight in January — very few among the boxing fraternity gave Eubank Jr much of a chance in the rematch.

Indeed, all the chatter in the build-up centred around not if Smith would defeat Eubank Jr in the rematch but instead in what manner and in what round. Prediction after prediction made had the vast majority of the boxing public believing that they were about to witness the last meaningful fight of Jr’s career, such was the swirl of negativity whipped up when it came to his prospects.