GRADES: CHRIS EUBANK, JR., LIAM SMITH, MIKAELA MAYER, ADAM AZIM & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

So, we didn't have the busiest weekend, but we had a decent card in Manchester, England.

In the main event, we saw Middleweight Chris Eubank, Jr. avenge his loss to Liam Smith with a ten round demolition job.

Also, on the under card, we saw former world titlist Mikaela Mayer pick up another win and rising prospect Adam Azim continue to stay perfect as a professional.

So, without much more ado, let's hand out these Grades:

CHRIS EUBANK, JR.
GRADE: A+
RESULT: DEF. LIAM SMITH, 10TKO (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
From the very worst performance of his career to perhaps the very best.

In their first encounter earlier this year, Chris Eubank was stopped inside a handful of rounds against Liam Smith. It was his first stoppage loss, and the first time he seemed seriously hurt in a contest. A contest people expected Eubank to win.

Heading into the return, Eubank was a small underdog and many had switched their predictions (myself included, smh). Eubank made them all look foolish with a tactical -- and brutal -- victory over Smith.

New trainer "Bomac" McIntyre looks to be a good fit, helping bring the effective aggression out of Eubank, while keeping him composed and measured (for Eubank, anyway).

Easily the best performance of the weekend.

LIAM SMITH
GRADE: F
RESULT: LOSS TO CHRIS EUBANK, JR., 10TKO (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
If Chris Eubank, Jr. had the recovery of the year thus far, Liam Smith had the fall from grace of the year. Boxing is such a crazy sport.

Smith didn't just get caught with a big shot and folded. He wasn't out-boxed in a lackluster performance that could have gone either way. No, Smith was out-thought, out-maneuvered, and then bashed into a stoppage defeat.

To put this loss into perspecitve: If you saw only this second fight, you couldn't be convinced of the result from the first encounter. It would feel too unbelievable.

While Smith and his team seemed to suggest the weight cut might have been the issue, that's really no excuse. Smith has been a career Jr. Middleweight. and this fight took place at 160 pounds.

Smith just got beat up.

ADAM AZIM
GRADE: B+
RESULT: DEF. ARAM FANYAN, 10UD (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)
Adam Azim had to work for his win over Aram Fanyan on Saturday, and that's a good thing overall.

Sure, you want the rising prospect to blow everyone out of the water on paper, but that won't develop them in the ring. You need them to face resistence, someone that shows up to win. Azim got that in the first half of the fight with Fanyan.

The good news for Azim is he remained composed, made the adjustment of just electing to score and not load up, and managed to pound out a tough victory. To the European level he goes.

MIKAELA MAYER
GRADE: B
RESULT: DEF. SILVIA BORTOT, 10PTS (WELTERWEIGHT)
In order for Mikaela Mayer to have any success at her new desired weight of 147 pounds, the former Jr. Lightweight titlist will need to answer a few questions. Can she take a punch? Can she carry the new weight? Will she tire?

Against Silvia Bortot, she answered much of that to some extent. Mayer was hit clean a few times, especially early, and seemed to take the shots well. The American also got stronger as the fight wore on.

That being said, she might need to tighten up a few things (particularly defensively) as she challenges tougher foes higher up the rankings. Otherwise, solid performance.

JACK CULLEN
GRADE: A-
RESULT: DEF. MARK HEFFRON, 3TKO (SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT)
Jack Cullen is probably the coolest story of the weekend. Here's a guy (shout out Cris Collinsworth) that has mostly been the opponent his entire career, and was brought in for just such a role against Mark Heffron. However, instead of playing his role, he played the spoiler.

The knockout shot in the third was beautiful, but it was really just a solid performance overall. Cullen was countering well, and making Heffron pay for missing. And that's what ultimately finished things off.

Great win for one of the many boxers that have to fight for everything they get.

MARK HEFFRON
GRADE: D+
RESULT: LOSS TO JACK CULLEN, 3TKO (SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT)
To be honest, this grade could be worse for Mark Heffron.

It's not just getting knocked out, because that can happen to anyone. Or getting knocked out by the lightly-regarded Jack Cullen, because Cullen isn't a terrible fighter. It's the fact that he made so many mistakes that lead to such a result.

Heffron lunged in with his shots, elected not to set those shots up, and allowed his belief in his own power to cloud his judgment.

Definitely a night Heffron will look to forget as a professional. The only thing that saved this grade from being an F is that he managed to get up at all from such a peach of a left hook.

LINKS:

- SCHEDULE & ODDS

- RESULTS

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