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It isn’t so much that Liam Smith has to go through another fight night with Chris Eubank Jr; it’s more that he has to go through another fight week with him. When the Britons square off at the AO Arena in Manchester in September, it will have been eight months since Smith dropped and stopped Eubank Jr in the same building. Many in boxing labelled the result an upset. Smith certainly did not see it that way. “No one in my team thought it was an upset,” the Liverpudlian, 34, tells The Independent. “No one in my former team, who watched me spar Chris, was gonna think it was an upset. If I’d won that fight on points, people wouldn’t have been surprised. People are just like ‘wow’ because ‘Liam Smith stopped Chris Eubank with a headshot.’ That’s all it is. It got made out like it’s impossible to hurt Chris, like he can’t be hurt. That’s why it was a big surprise for people.” Backed into a corner, overcome by volume and variation, Eubank Jr first hit the canvas 45 seconds into Round 4, slinking to the mat. Barely managing to grip the ropes with his gloves, the Brighton boxer hauled himself to his feet and wobbled to referee Victor Loughlin with his hands by his sides. He almost teetered past Loughlin. Eubank Jr was given the benefit of the doubt, but within 20 seconds he was down again, tumbling into the ropes as he fell. This time, despite another quick climb from the canvas, the 33-year-old was saved by the referee. Smith was walking away, with his back to Eubank Jr and the official, when the fight was waved off. The sound of the crowd tipped off Smith to the result, before he even had a chance to turn around and see for himself. Then, the jubilation set in. “I enjoyed every bit of it,” Smith says. “My ring walk, the changing room beforehand and after. You ask anyone around me, they know I enjoy everything until the moment I need to switch on. When I get down to the bottom of the ramp, I’m business-like. I wish I could have that week back, it was a great week. “If you asked about the three brothers, people would always say, ‘Liam enjoys it the most, he enjoys a fight night the most,’” he says, referring to Stephen and Callum, the latter of whom is an ex-world champion like Liam. “I remember saying to them, ‘There’s no better feeling than making that ring walk,’ and they were like, ‘You’re mad! There’s no better feeling than walking back to the changing room, knowing you’ve won!’” Although the fight was a successful foray up to middleweight for the former super-welterweight champion, the lead-up – containing comments that crossed a line at times – was altogether less enjoyable, Smith says. However, that is not for the reasons one might expect. “A lot people used to think Chris was getting under my skin,” Smith says. “I don’t lose sleep over Chris, he doesn’t change my day. Me and Chris’s personalities... Somebody with Chris’s persona is just someone I wouldn’t get on with in any form of life. “I just don't like them type of divas, who think everything’s got to revolve around them. In the build-up to the last fight, we were waiting on him a lot with promotion stuff, head-to-heads. It was on Sky Sports Box Office, and the people trying to produce the advert were asking us, ‘Can you meet in the middle of the ring and touch gloves with two hands?’ He was like: ‘No, I don’t touch gloves with two hands.’ “He was just being a nuisance, petty, spoilt, a diva. I just thought: ‘It’s nothing to me, you’re not doing my head in, but these people are trying to do a promotion. You know what you signed up for, just do it.’ He was just a nightmare – for other people really; I didn’t give a s*** about it.” The build to the pair’s rematch has begun, and Smith will hope for a smoother ride en route to what may even be his final fight. That, however, depends on the result, with the Scouser having claimed that his next loss would herald his retirement. “I shouldn’t really lose to Chris. I’m a better fighter than him, there’s not really a thought of defeat,” Smith stresses, but there are thoughts on life after boxing. “It’s tough. I’ve got two gorgeous little girls, who I’m still fighting for and trying to secure the rest of their futures, give them an easier start in life. They’ve changed my perspective on boxing and life in general. “I’ll take it as it comes,” he continues, pondering what retirement might look like. “I’ve got a good family, and once I’m done with boxing, I can put my whole energy and time into my girls and giving them some memories that I’ve probably missed now. There are certain things that I can’t do now – certain holidays that I can’t go on – but once I’m done, I’ll have enough time to give them some memories for life. There’s a little bucket list with them two: things that they’ll enjoy, places where they’ll smile.” When Smith takes on Eubank Jr at the AO Arena, he will be returning to a place where he did plenty of smiling, and where he did the thing he enjoys most. SMITH vs EUBANK II: REPEAT OR REVENGE? takes place on Saturday 2 September at the AO Arena in Manchester. It will be shown live exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 25 July. Fans can access tickets now at Boxxer.com. 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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says his club are on a path to becoming a “dominant force in English football”. After securing survival in their first Premier League season in 23 years last term, Forest are looking to kick on and have made a decent start, winning two of their four opening games, including a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday. Marinakis has again invested heavily, with a splurge of signings on transfer deadline day as seven players arrived at the City Ground. Divock Origi, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez were among those and Forest now look to have a much stronger squad than last year. And Marinakis, who has also made a significant investment in the club’s infrastructure, wants to see his club back at the top table of English football. “Our vision for the club is clear and unwavering: we are on a path to re-establish Nottingham Forest as a dominant force in English football,” he said in a letter to fans. “This journey is not just about the short-term, it’s about building a sustainable future. We are investing in youth development, nurturing young talent, and building a squad that can compete at the highest level for years to come. “The players we have brought in are fighters and winners who understand and believe in our vision for the future of this great club. “When players of the talents of those we have brought in this summer choose Nottingham Forest over the other dominant European clubs chasing their signatures, you should know that they choose us because we have shared with them our vision and they have fully invested in what it is we want to achieve.” Forest were able to recoup over £45million on Brennan Johnson, who was sold to Tottenham, and Marinakis paid tribute to a player who came through the City Ground ranks. “He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season,” the owner added. “In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow. “We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us. Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham duo Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele set for moves to Galatasaray Man arrested after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Premier League playing time for England-qualified players drops again

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Sam Kerr’s second-half strike was all it took to win the FA Cup for Chelsea as they beat Manchester United 1-0 in front of a world record crowd of 77,390 at Wembley. The sold-out fixture smashed the previous best tally for a women’s domestic club match, 60,739, set when Atletico Madrid hosted Barcelona in 2019. United, who started brightly, were hoping to win their first major silverware, but the Blues instead made it three consecutive victories in the 439-club competition. Emma Hayes’ second-placed Women’s Super League side, who have a game in hand over league leaders United, are now well-placed to do the double when the campaign concludes this month. Perhaps what was most noteworthy about the roar that erupted as the team banners were unfurled – under the watchful eye of Football Association president the Prince of Wales – was that it was beginning to feel like a regular occurrence – a packed-out Wembley for a women’s football match in England. United thought they had gone ahead inside the first minute through Leah Galton, but it was chalked off for offside without turning to VAR – also available for the first time for a Women’s FA Cup final. Marc Skinner’s side were in control throughput the opening 15 minutes and benefitted from a sloppy turnover in midfield that set up Nikita Parris for another chance but Ann-Katrin Berger was alert to her effort from Ella Toone’s backheel. Both sides settled in but created few chances until United captain Katie Zelem sent a free-kick into Chelsea’s area. A scramble ensued, the ball eventually landing at the feet of Millie Turner, who twisted and forced a good diving save from Berger to keep out the deflected effort. Galton skied an attempt before Chelsea looked to get something started, which they nearly did when Lauren James’ long-range header came within inches of turning into an opener but was instead tipped away by England goalkeeper Mary Earps, the ball catching the left post before it went out. It remained level at half-time, despite a late free-kick awarded to Skinner’s side after Niamh Charles brought down Parris, who had appealed for a penalty. Zelem’s resulting delivery was headed over the top by Turner. Kerr, the competition’s leading scorer, called Earps into action at the start of the second half before United quickly replied on the counter as Alessia Russo shot straight at Berger. The Blues then had one of their best chances to break the deadlock when Kerr drove down the left and squared to substitute Pernille Harder, in space inside the area, but the Denmark international rolled her effort straight to the waiting Earps, who denied her again moments later. The momentum, which favoured United for so much of the opening period, began to shift the Blues’ way as Harder sent a pinpoint cross to Kerr, who fired in the 68th-minute opener. Skinner’s side had their chances to level but were frustrated by a determined Chelsea back line. United staged an onslaught in the final seconds of stoppage time, but Berger somehow managed to survive the scramble with two saves to seal victory. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sale reach first Premiership final in 17 years after edging out Leicester Everton’s Jordan Pickford is not a top goalkeeper – Roy Keane Emotional Kevin Sinfield carries Rob Burrow over finish line at Leeds Marathon