Liam Smith has refuted the assertion that an elbow caused Chris Eubank Jr’s defeat in the fight on Saturday, which ended with a devastating combination.

“They are clutching at straws. As much as it might be a shock for people to see Chris sitting on his backside like that, just take it on the chin,” Smith told Sky Sports.

“You lost, you got stopped, come back from it,” he added.

“Go file your complaint by all means,” he said. “If that’s the case, just take the rematch. What are you waiting for?

“You’ve got three or four weeks to activate the rematch clause. If it was caused by an elbow, go ahead and activate it and let’s move on.”

Liam Smith emerged victorious in 4 thrilling rounds at the AO Arena in Manchester last weekend. However, following the dramatic win, Roy Jones, Eubank Jr’s trainer, hinted on social media that an elbow may have played a role in the outcome. Kalle Sauerland, Eubank’s promoter, also informed Sky Sports that they were considering appealing to the British Boxing Board of Control.

Smith also disputes the notion that Eubank Jr’s loss was due to weight draining. He notes that Eubank Jr has spent much of his career at middleweight, while it was Smith who moved up from super-welter to take the fight.