Chris Eubank Jr. suffers severely swollen eye following defeat against Liam Smith
He was largely the favourite to win, especially following Smith's controversial remarks before the fight, but was ultimately stopped in the fourth round.
Boxer Chris Eubank Jr. suffered a badly swollen right eye following his defeat to Liam Smith in their middleweight fight this weekend.
The biggest fight of 2023 so far was held in Manchester‘s legendary AO Arena on Saturday, 21 January, with the hype around the much-talked-about match-up only further exacerbated by the ugly scenes that ensued in the press conference beforehand.
Fighter Smith, 34, made the step up from light-middleweight to face the son of British boxing legend, Eubank Sr., who was on an eight-fight winning streak prior to the bout and a year younger than his Liverpudlian opponent.
Lasting just four rounds, Smith ended up dropping Eubank twice, who looked dazed as he got to his feet on both occasions and had to be separated by trainers from each corner as he seemed initially unaware that the fight had been stopped.
The fourth-round stoppage is just the third loss in Eubank Jr.’s 35-fight career, having made his debut back in 2011.
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Despite landing several of his own shots and having been up on the scorecards in the opening three rounds, Smith launched a flurry of punches to knock him down for the first time before following up with a clinical volley of blows to finish him off just moments later.
Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath, Eubank said he “was enjoying himself” until Smith caught him with “a once-in-a-lifetime blow”. He went on to insist that he felt he was dominating the fight and could have continued had the referee not made his decision.
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Nevertheless, it was not to be and the Hove-born boxer was left with a rather sizeable swollen eye.
While the victory on the night might have gone his opposite number’s way, Eubank Jr. has received a raft of praise for his handling of the unpleasant situation that transpired in the pre-match presser.
Although he apologised for his own reaction to Smith’s antagonist and what many considered offensive comments, with Sky forced to issue an on-air apology for the “personal and homophobic remarks made on stage”, many have applauded him for standing up for the LGBTQ+ community.
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For those unaware, Smith made several suggestions regarding Eubank’s sexuality, with the latter responding: “I’d rather be gay than a cheat”.
While Eubank Jr.’s eye might have been heavily damaged, his pride was not and, if anything, his popularity has increased in the wake of Smith’s outburst.
Following the fiery face-off, Eubank made it clear that he stood in solidarity with the gay community by donning the rainbow armband in the subsequent weigh-in and went on to write on Twitter: “We don’t discriminate… we don’t alienate. We want boxing & sport as a whole, to be all-inclusive.”
As for Smith, he has since apologised for remarks, insisting that “I’m not homophobic in any way, shape or form, I’m far from it”.
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However, for many, his backtracking has been seen as an empty sentiment made to protect his public image and highlights how much more still needs to be done to combat the culture of homophobia that still prevails throughout modern sports.
🗣️ "I apologise to anyone I've offended."
Liam Smith has apologised for his comments in the build-up to his fight against Chris Eubank Jr. pic.twitter.com/hIm3Gg6nBw
Featured Image — Sky Sports/Michael Benson (via Twitter)
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Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.
The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.
But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.
Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.
Jack Grealish dedicates his goal to his late brother on the 25th anniversary of his death ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u3toaqZSuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.
His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.
Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”
Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.
Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.
Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.
Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.
“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”
A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.
Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshots via YouTube)
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Marc Skinner signs new contract to keep him at Manchester United until 2027
Danny Jones
Manchester United Women manager Marc Skinner has signed off on a new deal with the Red Devils, accepting a contract that will see him stay at the club until at least 2027.
Approaching half a decade in charge of Man United’s women’s team, Marc Skinner has now committed his future to the side which helped the club to a historic male and female FA Cup double and qualified for Champions League for the first time.
Confirmed via social media on Wednesday, 2 April, the club shared the news that the 42-year-old has put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with an option to extend for a further 12 months.
His side is also currently third in the WSL, and although Chelsea remain the perennial favourites, they are continuing to push harder for the title each season following their second-placed finish in 22/23.
Speaking on the new deal, Brummy-born Skinner wrote: “It has been an absolute privilege to serve as head coach for this fantastic football club for the past four years, and I am delighted to be extending my time in the role for at least a further two years.
“We’re building a young, hungry team with the aim of challenging consistently for further trophies. There is still more hard work ahead, including this season, but the players and staff have already shown their determination to succeed, and I’m looking forward to us taking the next steps in our journey together.”
The former Birmingham and Orlando Pride head coach has been a somewhat divisive figure around Leigh Sports Village and Old Trafford during his tenure in recent years, with some vocal supporters even calling ‘Skinner Out’ last year.
He was ultimately kept on following the 4-0 thrashing of Spurs in the Women’s FA Cup, but many fans are still unhappy with the amount of progress made under him.
In addition to a lack of silverware throughout his time in charge, with many criticising his tactics, star talents like Alessia Russo, Mary Earps, Nikita Parris, Lucía Garcíaand captain Katie Zelem have all departed during this time. Others just haven’t felt the same since Casey Stoney left back in 2021.
Even gave him a photoshoot. Right wrong on not a significant part of the fan base hates Marc skinner. It’s tone deaf to assume we all celebrate on socials. I would turn the comments off tbh. https://t.co/VIarfUAkoJ
Nevertheless, Marc Skinner is staying for the immediate future, and there are still plenty who back him and the work he’s done, or at least the direction he is looking to go in.
Speaking on the extension, United‘s technical director Jason Wilcox said: “Marc’s record since taking charge speaks for itself, having delivered our first major women’s silverware and firmly established us among the leading teams in the WSL.
“After a major overhaul last summer, we have an exciting, developing squad ready to compete for further success, and we are convinced that Marc is the right coach to lead that process.”
COO Collette Roche went on to insist that “building a successful and popular women’s team is an important part of our wider, football-first strategy for the club” and that they hope Skinner will continue to contribute in placing “Manchester United at the forefront of growth in the women’s game.”