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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. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Inoue vs Fulton live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport Inoue vs Fulton LIVE: Latest boxing fight updates and results The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend?

Luton crashed out of the Carabao Cup as they were beaten 1-0 by League One Exeter at St James Park. Demetri Mitchell scored the only goal of an absorbing game with seven minutes remaining before he was later sent off after picking up a second yellow card. Luton made 10 changes to the team that picked up their first point of the Premier League season with a 1-1 draw against Wolves at the weekend, while Exeter made five to the side beaten 3-0 at Oxford. The Hatters started brightly as Tahith Chong broke into the box, only to be denied a shooting chance by a superb tackle from Alex Hartridge, before Luke Berry’s long-range effort was tipped over the bar by Exeter goalkeeper Vili Sinisalo. Cauley Woodrow then struck the outside of a post after Exeter fell asleep at a quick throw-in before a rare Exeter attack ended with James Scott curling narrowly wide from 25 yards. Mitchell’s inviting cross was narrowly in front of Scott as Exeter started to come into the game before the former Manchester United youngster saw his shot to the near post saved by Tim Krul. Elijah Adebayo headed wide for Luton as the game approached the half-hour mark before he saw a shot from 10 yards saved by Sinisalo before a lovely Exeter move ended with Caleb Watts firing high from 25 yards. Exeter had a great chance to break the deadlock after 61 minutes when Mitchell robbed Joe Johnson and sprinted goalward. His shot was saved at the near post by Krul before Kyle Taylor fired the rebound wide from 15 yards. Both teams then made changes – Luton with four in one go – before Adebayo headed wide and substitute Jacob Brown headed straight at Sinisalo from point-blank range. Luton were getting back on top, with Carlton Morris seeing a header cleared off the line and Brown glancing another header wide before Exeter went in front in the 83rd minute. Substitute Yanic Wildschut did well down the right and his deep cross was not dealt with, allowing Mitchell to nip in and poke the ball in off the underside of the bar from close range. Wildschut then fired tamely at Krul before Mitchell then received a second yellow card for a foul with two minutes remaining. It was now all hands to the pump for Exeter, who defended as though their lives depended on it as a raucous sell-out crowd cheered them on. And, as much as Luton huffed and puffed, they could not breach an outstanding Grecians defence as Exeter beat top-flight opposition for the first time since 1981 and reached round four for the first time since 1989. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ipswich come from two goals down to knock Wolves out of Carabao Cup Jonny May insists ‘X-factor’ Henry Arundell must show patience and adaptability Phil Jones goes back to school – Tuesday’s sporting social

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Everton appear to have accidentally revealed the identity of their next signing in a training clip posted to their official social media accounts. The video shows James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil competing in a head-to-head duel but it is the off-camera voices that can be heard that have attracted attention. While McNeil and Tarkowski jostle in a game of tag, a coach is in conversation with his colleague and appears to say “we’ve got Jonny Evans coming in”. Evans is a 35-year-old centre-back who captained relegated Leicester last season but his contract expired at the end of June. He would appear to fit the experienced profile of player that Toffees boss Sean Dyche is targeting, after signing 38-year-old Ashley Young from Aston Villa earlier this week. The video was initially posted on Everton’s Instagram and Facebook pages and although it was swiftly taken down from Instagram, Twitter user @ITalkEverton brilliantly spotted the revelation and downloaded the clip before reposting on his own page with the message “Listen closely... does anyone else hear “We’ve got Jonny Evans coming in” ??” As of writing, the video is still live on Everton’s Facebook reels. Some users were sceptical that the comment had been added as a voiceover but @ITalkEverton was adamant they hadn’t doctored the clip. Others applauded the detective work and Specsavers tweeted: “Ok you don’t need to come in for a hearing test for at least six months”. The clip has since been viewed on Twitter more than 2.7m times and the proof will be seen in the coming days if 102-cap Northern Ireland international Evans does indeed join Dyche’s Everton revolution. The Toffees narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League as they finished 17th, just one place and two points above the drop, while Evans’ Leicester side came 18th to drop into the Championship just seven years after they stunningly won the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting shocks of all time. Read More Five powerful revelations from Dele Alli’s emotional interview Addicted players urged to contact PFA after Dele Alli’s ‘scary’ pill revelation ‘Powerful and brave’: Dele Alli praised for interview about abuse and addiction