Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr apologized for their role in an awful press conference Thursday ahead of their middleweight bout on Saturday.
Both fighters launched personal attacks, with Eubank the subject of homophobic taunts and Smith the subject of social class taunts.
“There are no more lines,” Eubank said after organizers tried to restore calm.
It marks another controversial day for boxing after a 2022 marred by doping, judging and governance scandals.
Boxxer, who promotes Smith and co-promotes Eubank, said he doesn’t condone either fighter’s behavior.
“Tensions were high and the fighters apologized. Liam apologized,” promoter Ben Shalom said.
The rivals clashed throughout the buildup, disagreeing over past sparring encounters among other verbal exchanges
Smith, 34, called Eubank “celebrity hungry” and started the conference by questioning Eubank’s sexuality and repeatedly using a big expletive to attack his opponent.
Eubank responded with a thinly veiled insult about Liverpool, the city Smith was born in and his marriage.
Eubank, 33, admitted the conference “escalated quickly” and that the two men resorted to “personal” attacks.
“Everyone reacts in different ways to getting ready to fight another man,” he said.
“He’s so determined to prove he’s not shaken that he just went off the rails and I had to put it online. We both went there, it got personal. It’s OK.
“Boxing is personal, fighting another man is one of the most personal things you can do. So I get it.”
Smith said his comments were a reaction to past teasing by Eubank.
“I just responded to some of the things he says,” he said. “I don’t hate that man but I just don’t like him. I would never have a cup of tea with him.
“We are polar opposites. I don’t hate this man, I’m not going to bed hating him.”
Smith and Eubank will fight in a middleweight contest in Manchester in what organizers say will be a sold-out event.
Despite the exchanges during the press conference, the usual face-to-face at the end of the event went off without a hitch.
