Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams: Predictions, Odds and Results
Pintsized Background
A true pick’n’mix for boxing fans delivered by Ultimate Boxxer this Saturday night. Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff will host the potential women’s GOAT (Claressa Shields), former world titleholders (Julius Indongo), paper champions (Chris Eubank Jr), hot prospects (Caroline Dubois) and a Swede best known for raking Tyson Fury’s eye into smithereens (Otto Wallin). Eubank vs Williams predictions will be a rollercoaster of most exhilarating quality.
Of course, who could forget Steve Robinson. No, not Cinderella Man, the fairytale Welsh champ who claimed the WBO belt on two days’ notice after working his last shift as a Debenhams cashier. Think rather a poor Dolph Lundgren imitation. Facing his third “0-1” opponent, Robinson is consistent if anything.
Where/When is Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams taking place:
February 5, 2022. Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. Cardiff, Wales.
What time does Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams start:
🇬🇧 UK: 7.30pm / 🇺🇸 US ET: 2.30pm
What channel is Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams on:
🇬🇧 UK: Sky Sports / 🇺🇸 US: FITE TV
Pintsized content from the week before:
Preview: Anthony Yarde vs Lyndon Arthur II: Predictions, Odds and Results.
Review: MAFB: Yarde vs Arthur II Review.
Scoring: MAFB Math: Yarde vs Arthur II.
Statistics: Boxing Predictions Results: December 2021
PI’s Recommended Fight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs Bradley Skeete.
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Eubank vs Williams: Main Event
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams
Middleweight (160)
Chris Eubank Jr (31-2, 23KO)
I think it’s fair to say that Liam Williams isn’t Eubank Jr’s biggest fan. Granted, most of the British boxing public seem to have written off the son of the enigmatic, national treasure – Chris Eubank. Whether it was the youthful arrogance that led Eubank to self-training himself or his defiant belief that the IBO world title was anything other than a Sports Direct belt, Eubank Jr will arrive in Cardiff as public enemy number one.
While it is easy to hop on the Eubank Jr hate train, the thirty-two-year-old has enjoyed a fairly entertaining, fairly successful career. BJS had to dig incredibly deep to scrape a split decision drawback in 2014, a fight that most casuals believe was a whitewash. Eubank Jr battered Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan for seven rounds in 2015, the same Irishman who dragged Jaime Munguia into eleven rounds of trench warfare. More recently, Eubank Jr buried the corpse of James DeGale and out-classed tough domestic operator, Marcus Morrison. Additionally, Eubank Jr finished Avni Yildrim 1 minute and 2 seconds earlier than Canelo… does boxing math place Jr higher on the P4P list?
That isn’t to say that Eubank Jr isn’t a flawed fighter. His last fight against Wanik Awdijan raised a series of red flags over Jr’s lack of technical development. There is no denying that Eubank Jr is a gym bunny, his exceptional conditioning allows him to pour overwhelming volume throughout the entirety of a contest. Awdijan is a polished technician, but his athletic ceiling is far below even the European level. Despite the mismatch, Eubank Jr was out-jabbed and out-manoeuvred in a worrying opening four rounds. Only when Eubank Jr tossed aside the new tools from coach, Roy Jones Jr, and fell into his old pressure-volume habits he was able to find the finish. Liam Williams will prove too strong and too slick for such a limited tactic to bowl over the Welshman. (Side note Awdijan was Eubank’s first opponent following Seb Eubank’s passing, and the emotional burden may have somewhat influenced his performance).
Liam Williams (23-3-1, 18KO)
The Demetrius Andrade result is a real wake-up call for Liam Williams. Dropping a points decision to Andrade is hardly a career-ender, but it was worrying to see Williams physically bullied for the first time in his career. When adopting such a brutish, bullying front-foot style, a man-handling on the biggest night of your life can lead to great changes – for better or for worse.
Dominic Ingle was the problem identified, with Williams downing tools in Sheffield to team up with Adam Booth – the trainer who also mentors Harlem Eubank, Chris’ younger cousin. Aside from a juicy headline, Williams’ move has been influenced by his desire to work with a coach who excels at training explosive, natural athletes. Booth’s development of David Haye remains the shining point of his training career, with health consulting for Kylie Minogue ranking in at a close second. Joining Adam Booth just a couple of months before Saturday night leaves the Welshman with a short time frame in which to iron out the cracks from his failed world title bid. Regardless, Booth is known as a strategist and provide Williams with a calming presence in the corner.
Williams enters as the more polished technician, but his lack of sting will be unable to stop Eubank racking up rounds through volume and pressure. The Welshman is a powerful Middleweight, yet Eubank Jr showed no signs of chin issues in a higher weight class. The two issues for Williams are a long-term shoulder injury that he aggravated again at the close of 2021 and a vulnerability to uppercuts as a result of his permanent high guard. Eubank Jr loves to double or triple up on uppercuts and Williams’ constant blinkers stop his avoiding the damage or countering with anything meaningful. Over twelve rounds, Eubank Jr’s pace will clean up the scorecards while Williams’ power will struggle to impose itself on the Brighton man’s sterling chin.
Predicted Result: Eubank Jr Decision
Over twelve rounds, Eubank Jr’s pace will clean up the scorecards while Williams’ power will struggle to impose itself on the Brighton man’s sterling chin. Even with a change of coaching from Dominic Ingle to Adam Booth, a trainer more suited to handling William’s exceptional natural athleticism, the Welshman will be struggling with Eubank’s volume. Williams may have wobbled Andrade last time out, yet Eubank Jr showed no issues with eating power at Super Middleweight, there is little evidence to believe Williams carries the power necessary to thwart Eubank’s pressure.
While many view the presence of Roy Jones Jr in Eubank’s camp as a positive, his performance against Wanik Awdijan was a mess. Bit-piece attempts to control the distance and fight on the outside was eventually thrown to the wayside in favour of his tried and tested volume on the inside. This isn’t the calibre of opponent in which Eubank tests his skillset at distance, Williams’ is too polished and experienced. Instead, old habits will be enough for Eubank to earn an ugly, but important career victory.
Result: Eubank Jr def. Williams // Decision (UD – 116-109, 116-108, 117-109)
Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ✔️
Eubank vs Williams: Co-Main Event
Claressa Shields vs Ema Kozin
Women’s Middleweight (160)
WBC World Female Middleweight Title
WBA World Female Middleweight Title
IBF World Female Middleweight Title
WBF World Female Middleweight Title
Claressa Shields (11-0, 2KO)
The Female MMA GOAT, Claressa Shields, has decided to try her hand at boxing on Saturday night. 😉 Despite picking up her first professional loss, it is unlikely that the American will feel any ill effects. It wasn’t as if the undisputed Middleweight champion was out-struck on the feet. In fact, it’s admirable that the twenty-six year is trying her hand in other combat sports. The Women’s game desperately needs every bit of media attention it can get, win or loss for Shields.
While anything other than the Savannah Marshall grudge match inspires little excitement, Ema Kozin represents the next best test at least. In a division with such a small talent pool, however, that doesn’t count for much. Claressa Shields sits on her own island in regards to her skillset. Shields total domination of Christina Hammer very much proved that. Liquid head movement allows Shields to sit in the pocket and punish heavier opponents with voluminous counters. Shields’ dip entry into her ‘keep busy’ single shots keeps her head moving and prevents opponents from making reads. As a result, even experienced boxers like Hammer were forced to flurry with 5-6 shots in a futile attempt to keep Shields at range.
Ema Kozin (21-0, 11KO)
At just twenty-three years old, Ema Kozin has already amassed twenty-one victories in her six-year career. While only nine of the fights came against opponents with a winning record, Kozin has proven her quality against proven world title contenders such as Maria Lindberg and Chris Namus. Cliche or not, there are levels to boxing, and the comically lopsided quality disparity in the upper echelons of Women’s Middleweight will never be clearer than Saturday night.
Christ, the tape doesn’t shine Kozin in glory. Let’s start with the positives: an extended lead hand used to gauge and control distance, willingness to strike in ugly clinches, focus on the body during combinations. Now, the negatives (and reality): Kozin is deathly slow. Not only will the Slovenian be continually beaten to the punch, but her footwork also leaves a lot to be desired. Regularly falling into her straight shots, Kozin drops her hands and leans far over her front foot. Sanna Turunen, a very limited fighter, regularly caught an overzealous and wildly unbalanced Kozin throughout their ten rounds.
Predicted Result: Shields TKO Round 6
Typically, the fight going to the scorecards is a far more likely result considering Shields’ patient approach. Kozin’s technical and athletic deficiencies cannot be overlooked, however. Even with twenty-one victories under her belt, the Slovenian is deathly slow and consistently falls into her shots – offering frequent opportunities that Shields will eventually capitalise on. Moreover, Shields will be searching for a statement victory to set up her grudge match with Savannah Marshall.
Result: Shields def. Kozin // Decision (UD – 100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Winner ✔️ // Method ❌ // Round ❌
Eubank vs Williams: Rest of the Card
Samuel Antwi vs Conah Walker
Welterweight (147)
English Welterweight Title
Samuel Antwi (13-1, 6KO)
It hasn’t been an easy path for Samuel Antwi. Travelling over to Accra and Harare for fights in his early professional days, Antwi secured a huge scalp after stopping Jez Smith in eight rounds. The same Jez Smith who dropped Kerman Lejarraga twice before being dubiously stopped by the referee.
Last time out, Antwi claimed the vacant English title against Darren Tetley over six punishing rounds. There isn’t much nuance to Antwi’s approach, the Londoner walks opponents down and wings powerful hooks to head and body. It isn’t a style that will carry up the ranks, but at a domestic level, Antwi is enough of a plus athlete to make it work.
Conah Walker (10-0, 3KO)
Following a successful amateur career (30 victories from 33), Walker has taken his time to progress in the professional ranks. Aside from a questionable draw against Ohio Kain Iremiren, the Wolverhampton fighter has successfully risen to each baby step.
Patient on the outside, Walker utilises a range of feints to mask his swift entries. Often leading with a jab, Walker is careful to limit risks and follow up with a single hook or straight behind it. Without the space or time to operate such a game plan against a ferociously aggressive opponent, Walker will have to rely on his chin and footwork as the primary defence.
Predicted Result: Antwi TKO Round 7
If anything, this won’t be a pretty affair. Both men love to fight on the front foot, perhaps an understatement in the case of wildly aggressive Antwi, and will leave little highlight reel in the way of defensive excellence. A successful amateur, Walker has smartly developed his pro career with baby steps, yet his style doesn’t seem primed to deal with Antwi. The Wolverhampton man excels when given time and space to operate behind a range of feints. Antwi will press a furious pace from the opening bell and eventually break Walker late, lacking the tools to evade his heavy-handed foe.
Result: Antwi def. Walker // Decision (UD – 96-95, 96-94, 97-94)
Winner ✔️ // Method ❌ // Round ❌
Chris Jenkins vs Julius Indongo
Welterweight (147)
Chris Jenkins (22-4-3, 8KO)
Chris Jenkins has been kicking around the domestic scene for donkeys. Breaking onto the scene after causing trouble for Tyrone Nurse over two fights in 2015, Jenkins has experienced a mixed bag of results. Securing the British title over Johnny Garton represents a high point that Jenkins has shown little evidence of beating. Stopped by Ekow Essuman last time out, it is unlikely that suffering the first stoppage of his career will change Jenkins’ approach or mentality. The Welshman will continue to bite down on the gumshield and attempt to control the centre of the ring.
Julius Indongo (23-4, 12KO)
Man, just how far has Julius Indongo fallen. Once upon a time, a naive Pintsized believed that Indongo was capable of troubling Terence Crawford. Long gone are the days of a heavy-handed, Namibian boogeyman who comfortably dispatched Eduard Troyanovsky and Ricky Burns. Confidence can more or break fighters. The latter is evident in Indongo’s tame knockout losses to Crawford, Regis Prograis, Daniyar Yeleussinov and Hassan Mwakinyo. Perhaps age has played a factor in the sharp decline, at thirty-eight, Indongo is no spring chicken. Even with the paper durability, Indongo’s freakish length could still cause Jenkins a lot of trouble to get inside.
Predicted Result: Jenkins Decision
A horribly difficult match-up to predict. On the one hand, Indongo is light-years ahead in terms of technical ability, but how much has age and confidence knocked any semblance of competition from the freakishly tall Namibian? The manner of Indongo’s defeats has been particularly worrying, happy to let the referee count him out against Daniyar Yeleussinov despite the tame knockdowns. As a result, I am unwillingly backing the limited yet game Jenkins.
Result: Jenkins def. Indongo // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 78-75)
Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ✔️
Otto Wallin vs Kamil Sokolowski
Heavyweight (200+)
Otto Wallin (22-1, 14KO)
Hahaha, what is this match-up? Just last year, Otto Wallin was building himself back towards a world title shot with a dominant decision victory over Dominic Breazeale. Granted, Dillian Whyte bottled it and ducked Otto Wallin, but it still seems like a strange choice of opponent for a tune-up fight. Unironically, a Dave Allen fight would have been good stupid fun – but I suppose Sokolowski costs a fair bit less to wheel out. Despite his horrible habit of backing himself onto the ropes during rest/activity periods, Wallin is too sharp on the outside for Sokolowski to ever touch him.
Kamil Sokolowski (11-24-2, 4KO)
Man, good on Sokolowski. The toughest journeyman operating in Britain for the past few years, Sokolowski is no stranger to an upset. Wallin isn’t a doe-eyed prospect, however. Wallin is a proven contender around the world title level and this could be a painful scrap for the journeyman. Sokolowski’s worrying response to some of Solomon Dacres harder shots will be intensified under the Swede’s heavier artillery. Frank Warren will be sniffing around a potentially broken Sokolowski to scrub out David Adeleye’s embarrassing performance.
Predicted Result: Wallin Decision
The toughest journeyman operating in Britain for the past few years, Sokolowski is no stranger to an upset. Wallin isn’t a doe-eyed prospect, however. Wallin is a proven contender around the world title level and this could be a painful scrap for the journeyman. Despite his horrible habit of backing himself onto the ropes during rest/activity periods, Wallin is too sharp on the outside for Sokolowski to ever touch him. There is a potential for Wallin to find a late stoppage, especially with Sokolowski’s worrying response to Solomon Dacres’ power, but the Pole is one of the best at surviving until the final bell.
Result: Wallin def. Sokolowski // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 79-74)
Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ✔️
Harlem Eubank vs Viorel Simion
Super Lightweight (140)
Harlem Eubank (12-0, 4KO)
Whether or not Harlem is championship calibre is yet to be seen, but there have been serious improvements over the past couple of years. Despite attracting none of the limelight, Harlem is a fluid unorthodox boxer who frustrates opponents at distance. At times, Harlem almost looks to be a picture-perfect replica of Josh Kelly – high praise for an inexperienced prospect. Excellent distance management and solid head movement ensure that Harlem outstrikes opponents despite relatively little output.
Viorel Simion (22-7, 9KO)
Romanian, Viorel Simion, hasn’t been the same since being Scott Quigg’d back in 2017. Enduring a 1-6 slide, Simion appeared a weathered husk against slick counter puncher, Zelfa Barrett, last time out. That’s to be expected of a forty-year-old with over thirty fights under his belt. Simion still gamely attempts to walk down opponents, but his inability to change his style with age has caused such a painful downfall. If Harlem is to prove himself a serious prospect, there should be no way in which the Romanian can consistently close the distance.
Predicted Result: Eubank Decision
Romanian, Viorel Simion, hasn’t been the same since being Scott Quigg’d back in 2017. That’s to be expected of a forty-year-old with over thirty fights under his belt. If Harlem is to prove himself a serious prospect, there should be no way in which the Romanian can consistently close the distance. Eubank’s excellent distance management and solid head movement will leave this fight looking like one of Josh Kelly’s early dominant performances.
Result: Eubank def. Simion // TKO (retired) Round 5 3:00
Winner ✔️ // Method ❌ // Round ❌
Steve Robinson vs Shane Gill
Heavyweight (200+)
Steve Robinson (4-0, 3KO)
Steve Robinson is such a rare case of a Heavyweight that I have no right but to be intensely interested in. There is no chance Robinson climbs towards a title shot, even a domestic title would be a huge ask for his limited skill set. Regardless, Robinson brings a huge following with him and ensures that even his bottom of the barrel opponents has something to fight for. Personality and spiel are always welcome lower down the card, but God help us when this transfers to the main event slot.
Shane Gill (0-1, 0KO)
Based on the tape of Shane Gill’s one fight, he looks the typical rugged journeyman – if a little more gun shy than the more experienced career travellers. Even with Steven Robinson’s lumbering, telegraphed shots, the Ivan Drago lookalike will struggle to miss Gill’s naked chin.
Predicted Result: Robinson TKO Round 2
Based on the tape of Shane Gill’s one fight, he looks the typical rugged journeyman – if a little more gun shy. Even with Steven Robinson’s lumbering, telegraphed shots, the Ivan Drago lookalike will struggle to miss Gill’s naked chin. Personality and spiel are always welcome lower down the card, but God help us when this transfers to the main event slot.
Result: Gill def. Robinson // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 58-56)
Winner ❌ // Method ❌ // Round ❌
Caroline Dubois vs Vaida Masiokaite
Women’s Lightweight (135)
Caroline Dubois (DEBUT)
At just twenty-one years old, Caroline Dubois enters the professional ranks as a well established amateur success. Sister of Daniel Dubois, Caroline was England’s first World Youth champion, a Youth Olympic gold medallist and all-around success on the international stage. Working under Shane McGuigan, Caroline is expected to go all the way – perhaps beating Daniel in reaching a world title first despite a five-year head start.
Vaida Masiokaite (2-14-4, 1KO)
Lithuanian journeyman, Vaida Masiokaite, is a staple on British shows for up and coming prospects. The thirty-four-year-old earns her payday, despite frustratingly fighting to her opponent’s advantage in every fight. Rather than sitting behind her immense length, Masiokaite has proven more than willing to sit in the pocket. Jack Cullen adopts a similar approach, albeit, with far more success – but it is just as frustrating to see.
Predicted Result: Dubois Decision
Lithuanian journeyman, Vaida Masiokaite, is a staple on British shows for up and coming prospects. The thirty-four-year-old earns her payday, despite frustratingly fighting to her opponent’s advantage in every fight. Caroline was England’s first World Youth champion, a Youth Olympic gold medallist and all-around success on the international stage. Working under Shane McGuigan, Caroline is expected to go all the way.
Result: Dubois def. Masiokaite // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 60-54)
Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ✔️
Prediction Accuracy
Eubank Jr vs WIlliams
Winner: 6/8
Method: 4/8
Round: 4/8
2022 Boxing Season
Winner: 6/8
Method: 4/8
Round: 4/8
Boxing Overall
Winner: 165/208
Method: 119/208
Round: 88/208
Takeaway comments: Worrying chin deterioration for Williams.
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