Former world champion Liam Smith believes Chris Eubank Jr. was scared of being hit when they collided back in January.

Smith, who captured a world title at 154-pounds, was widely viewed as a big underdog when he stepped in the ring with Eubank.

But, the Liverpool boxer pulled off a big upset when he knocked Eubank out in the fourth round.

Eubank exercised an immediate rematch clause, with the two fighters now set to collide for a second time on June 17 in Manchester.

The way Eubank was handling himself in the ring, Smith quickly picked up on what he felt was Eubank's fear of being hit.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he'd been knocked out beforehand in sparring because he was terrified of getting hit," Smith told Sky Sports.

"Round one, I remember being close to him and he's holding me and I'm just thinking you're terrified. "You are terrified of getting hit. You watch every replay and he's not even moving his head [properly]. He's closing his eyes. He's getting his head out the way."

"He was petrified of getting hit, he was looking away. That's why the first shot wobbled him. Because he's not looking. He was looking at the floor and the first right hand hits him and goes right to his boots. I'm not going to sit and lie about it. I'm not going to sit and say, 'Oh it was a great shot'."

Smith had expected the bigger Eubank to engage more often, but that's not how the fight played out.

Eubank stayed on the move and boxed - and would hold Smith every time he got too close.

"He was on the back foot trying to box the way I thought he would," Smith said. "He was the big middleweight on the back foot but holding me every time I got near him. He was the 'bigger, stronger fighter' but didn't want to engage.

"It's a cliche but boxers we're not scared of getting hit. I don't mind taking one early doors because I think [either] yeah, right, I'm fine with that or I can't take many more of them, he can punch, solid. He was terrified. Whether it was because he hadn't been in the ring a long time, I don't know but I thought he was terrified getting hit. He makes too many mistakes doing that and he paid for them and he paid for them earlier than he should have."