Pair face each other in middleweight bout in Cardiff on Saturday with Welshman insisting he’s ‘prepared to die in the ring’
Liam Williams has been condemned by boxing’s governing body after saying he “wants to kill” Chris Eubank Jnr in their middleweight fight in Cardiff on Saturday night.
The Welshman will be summoned before the British Boxing Board of Control after telling Telegraph Sport: “Eubank makes my skin crawl every time I look at him. I deeply dislike the guy. I want to kill him. I’m so up for this fight and ready to go.”
Williams, who is friends with Nick Blackwell, the boxer put in an induced coma after a contest with Eubank in March 2016 and who never boxed again, also said he was “prepared to die in the ring to beat him”.
Robert Smith, general secretary of the BBBofC – whose headquarters are in the Welsh capital – said: “We will be calling Williams in and reprimanding him. Those are not the words we want to hear, and even if he meant it metaphorically it is unacceptable for a licensed boxer to say such a thing.
“Boxers are more than aware of the dangers in the sport. We will be speaking with him about it after the contest. It’s simply not appropriate.”
Williams, a 28-year-old from Clydach Vale who fought and lost in a world title bid against the American Demetrius Andrade last year, will enjoy raucous support in Cardiff. “I’m just so excited to put an end to this guy, drop him down a few levels,” he added. “You’ll realise his level after this fight. He’s mentally tough, he takes a good shot, but his legs are very robotic. He moves like he’s got wooden legs. I just think my skill set is a lot better. We’re going to find out in an intense fight.”
The rivalry between Eubank and Williams has increased after postponements to the clash due to injury and to Covid-19 delaying all fight cards from January into February.
Eubank, the 32-year-old son of British boxing legend Chris Eubank Snr, said he wanted to end Williams’s career. “He is bad for the sport, and how he represents himself. I see myself standing over him, him getting counted out, raising my hands in victory. I didn’t spend a year and a half on a farm with chickens and snakes and raccoons training [with Roy Jones Jnr in the United States] for nothing.
“We’re on our way to cleaning up the middleweight division and Liam Williams is the next man in front of me. I’m going to take him out. All that matters is what’s going to happen on the night. It’s going to be a hell of a fight.”
Both middleweights have said they are chasing a fight with modern great Gennady Golovkin with victory in this contest.
On the undercard, one of women’s boxing’s biggest names – the double Olympic champion and undefeated three-weight world champion Claressa Shields – makes her UK debut defending her middleweight crown against the Slovenian Ema Kozin. Shields is expected to face British world champion Savannah Marshall next.
“I’ll break it down for you quick: one, beat up Ema Kozin and then beat up your [UK] favourite Savannah Marshall and go home. That’s why I’m here. So February 5 is the beginning.”