Sky Sports apologise for homophobic row at Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith face-off – The Mirror
Sky Sports were forced to issue an apology for homophobic comments made between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith.
Eubank Jr and Smith will meet in an all-British middleweight grudge match on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in front of a sold-out crowd. Throughout the fight build-up the pair have been trading vicious verbal barbs including about their previous sparring session, and Eubank Jr’s claim he will only be at 50 per cent for the contest.
The pair came face-to-face one again at the fight week press conference on Thursday and the event quickly descended into a slanging match. Sky Sports presenter Anna Woolhouse was ultimately forced to apologise for homophobic comments at the end of the broadcast.
She said: “We would like to apologise if you have been offended by the offensive language, personal and homophobic remarks made up on stage.” The comments in question were made by both men during a heated exchange where Smith began questioning if Eubank Jr had a partner.
Smith shouted: “You go on about girls, has anybody in this room ever seen you with a girl? You got something to tell us? You are 33 and you said on the programme you want kids. This is for no laughs I am just asking, do you want to tell us something? You are putting up pictures with Neymar in limousines. No-one in this room has seen you with a women. If you are happy just tell us; it isn’t a dig. You have to have a women to have a kid.”
Eubank Jr later responded: “Listen, my private life is my private life. That is irrelevant to the boxing but I am happy and comfortable. What would you like to know Liam? If you want to get personal, talking about being gay? I’ve been told you cheat on your wife. I’d rather be gay than a cheat. If you would like to ask me a question just slide into my DMs.”
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PA)
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Eubank Jr was set to meet Conor Benn last year but the fight collapsed, after the British Board of Boxing Control refused to sanction the event following Benn’s failed drug test. The Brighton native has fought just once in the last year when he ousted Liam Williams to settle the scores in 2022.
Meanwhile Smith will be hoping to make one last push for world title contention, having beaten Jessie Vargas and Hassan Mwakinyo in a successful year last time out. A win for either man could see them pursue a shot against Gennady Golovkin who will return to the division following his trilogy defeat to Canelo Alvarez at 168lb.