British boxer Chris Eubank Jr. wore a rainbow armband to his weigh-in after his middleweight opponent Liam Smith made homophobic comments against him during their pre-match news conference.
During the January 19 conference, Eubank mocked Smith about direct messaging him before their match, saying, “I’m used to seeing girls in my DMs, I’m not used to seeing guys I’m about to fight.”
Smith responded, “You’re going on about girls, mate. Has anyone in this room ever seen you with a girl? Have you got something to tell us, really? … You’re putting pictures up of [Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior] in limousines. Do you want to tell us something? Because nobody in this room has ever seen you with a woman.”
Eubank said, “You’re asking me if I’m gay, you’re talking about my beard and my hair — I have a great barber, I can introduce you if you want. If you want to get personal with it… talking about being gay and do I like girls — I’ve been told by multiple sources that you cheat on your wife on the occasion. So let’s just relax with the personal stuff. I’d rather be gay than a cheat, how about that?”
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Smith responded, “You don’t got a misses to cheat on.”
It got personal today… it will get even more personal on Saturday #EubankSmith pic.twitter.com/wGgHvI2WBJ
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) January 19, 2023
After the interview was broadcast on the Sky Sports TV network, the network’s presenter Anna Woolhouse apologized for the “homophobic” exchange. Sky Sports later removed the footage from its boxing YouTube channel. The Sun tabloid also criticized the exchange, writing, “British boxing raced back into the gutter for a dismal start to 2023 with homophobic jibes.”
The boxers’ promoter, Boxxer, said that the two fighters apologized for their comments.
The day after the conference, Eubank posted an image on Twitter of himself wearing an armband while standing next to his opponent at his official weigh-in. Eubank wrote, “We don’t discriminate… we don’t alienate. We want boxing & sport as a whole, to be all inclusive.”
We don’t discriminate… we don’t alienate. We want boxing & sport as a whole, to be all inclusive. pic.twitter.com/coyvvV0HM8
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) January 20, 2023
Despite Eubank’s fearless show of support for the LGBTQ community, Smith still knocked him out in the fourth round of their Saturday night fight. While it would’ve been satisfying to see Eubank beat Smith, at the very least, the two hugged in the ring after their match ended.
Later, Smith offered a kind-of sort-of apology, saying, “I apologize to anyone offended by what I said. I’m not homophobic in any way, shape, or form, I’m far from it. That’s not me as a man.”
Now, scroll down for some pics from Eubank’s Instagram page…
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GayEGO
Yay! Love the rainbow colors!
bachy
I have just the cure to help Eubank recover!
Kangol2
Too bad Chris Eubank didn’t win, and boxing is a brutal sport so I can’t encourage him to keep fighting, but if he does ever face Smith again, lay that homophobe out, man! And then retire and protect that handsome face!
SDR94103
BRAVO!
abfab
Dudes beating the living crap out of each other. How special.
Den
Although Eubank seems considerably more articulate and intelligent than Smith, and shows solidarity with LGBT people, boxing still remains a supremely stupid and backwards sport. Nobody who makes their living by causing neurological degeneration, physical mutilation and arguably (directly or indirectly, but certainly likely) death to others should be seen as a hero or role model. The entire focus and entire point of the sport is to injure your opponent.
The fact that these people are admired (and I include MMA fighters as well) indicates how primitive and savage we remain as a species.
Kangol2
I hear you, but remember, we live in a country (the US), where star football and hockey players are considered heroes, and both sports, but especially football, can cause severe “neurological degeneration, physical mutilation and arguably (directly or indirectly, but certainly likely) death.” Just check out the effects of CTE and the number of players it has plagued over the years!
Doug
He got the best word in when he asked Eubank about cheating, the guy backed right off then.
abfab
Yeah, he sure can mansplain his way out of tough situations. Wow.
Brian-E
So The Sun now criticises homophobic jibes as “the gutter”?
Breath-taking hypocrisy.
It’s quite likely that Liam Smith formed his charming attitudes from reading that same “newspaper” not so very long ago.