Chris Eubank Jr reveals his mindset in Liam Williams fight: ‘I did not want to knock this man out in the first round’ | Boxing News

Chris Eubank Jr insists he purposely dragged his fight with Liam Williams out “to punish him” – but Sky Sports’ Johnny Nelson has said “I don’t believe him”.

Eubank Jr knocked Williams down four times and, at times, looked certain to stop him but eventually settled for a unanimous decision win on Saturday in Cardiff.

He floored his rival in the opening two rounds but said afterwards he opted against a swift stoppage in order to finally settle their feud.

“I wanted to teach this man a lesson,” Eubank Jr said.

“He had said some menacing things to me leading up to this fight so I wanted to punish him.

“I thought: ‘I do not want to knock this man out in the first round’.

“I want to get people like him out of boxing.

“You saw the fight – headlocks, headbutts, crazy stuff. I’m surprised he didn’t get disqualified.

“I punished him like I said that I would do.”

He later revealed that an injured left hand impaired him.

Williams rallied in the mid-rounds but Eubank Jr scored a fourth knock-down in the 11th round, while mixing some showboating into his career-best performance.

“There was no danger,” Eubank Jr said.

“If I stepped on the gas at any point in the fight, he would have been gone.

“But he needed to be taught a lesson.

“I didn’t want to give him an easy way out.

“There are levels to this game.

“Don’t be a big mouth to guys that you can get hurt against.

“He thought he was something that he wasn’t.”

Eubank Jr added about his own performance: “People tell me I can’t box. Apparently I have no jab.

“I thought: ‘Let me show the critics a different side’.”

‘I don’t buy that!’

However, his version of events has been disputed by Nelson, who was at ringside for Sky Sports.

“I don’t buy that,” Nelson said. “I don’t believe him.

“If he could have got the knockout, he would have.

“His shot wasn’t landing. He couldn’t find the knockout shot.

“There is no way in a million years I believe him!

“He made a fundamental mistake – he should have stayed professional.”

Sky Sports Boxing schedule

Saturday February 19 in Manchester
Amir Khan vs Kell Brook
Natasha Jonas vs Ewa Piatkowska – WBO super-welterweight title
Frazer Clarke’s pro debut

Saturday February 26 in Glasgow
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall – undisputed super-lightweight titles
Nick Campbell vs Jay McFarlane – Scottish heavyweight title

Saturday March 5 in Fresno
Jose Ramirez vs Jose Pedraza

Saturday March 12 in Newcastle
Savannah Marshall vs Femke Hermans – WBO middleweight title

Sunday March 20 in New York
Edgar Berlanga vs Steve Rolls
Keyshawn Davis
Xander Zayas