CALLUM SMITH is waiting. He had been holding out hope for a clash with Canelo Alvarez. But the Mexican star was heading in another direction before the global lockdown shut down the sport. After a closer-than-expected WBA super-middleweight title defence against John Ryder, Smith had been eager to box early in 2020. โI still believe Iโm the best super-middleweight in the world. The rankings still have me as number one. A bad performance doesnโt take that away from me. I believe Iโll beat whoever I need to beat to prove myself as the number one in the division. I think Iโve shown whether I perform or donโt perform, Iโll always do enough to win,โ Callum told Boxing News.
โ[John Ryder] done it the right way, he won his eliminator, he won his final eliminator, heโs a good fighter. Heโs an underrated fighter,โ Callum continued, adding, โI thought the decision was the right decision. I thought I won the fight. I still stand by that.โ
It could have led him to that showdown with Alvarez. โI was thinking if Iโm ever going to get the Canelo fight, itโll be now after that last performance,โ Smith observed. โI do think stylistically Iโm not ideal for a small super-middleweight moving up from middleweight. Iโm not saying heโs avoiding me or heโs scared to fight me. But I do think stylistically Iโm not ideal.โ
He had been training to be ready to fight on May 2. Those discussions with Canelo however broke down. โI was involved in negotiations for the biggest fight possible for anyone around my weight,โ he reflected. โNegotiations arenโt straightforward when youโre at the highest level. Thatโs part of boxing youโve got to learn to deal with.
โIโm guessing if that [Canelo-Billy Joe Saunders] fight doesnโt happen itโll be because heโs agreed to fight โGGGโ [Gennady Golovkin]. So Iโm not sitting around waiting for that fight again. Iโd like to just carry on with my own career. Secure whatever fight I can, the best one possible.โ
Americaโs Danny Jacobs, promoted by Matchroom like Smith, is a likely target for the Liverpudlian. โA fight with him, if I canโt get one of the other champions, is probably the fight that makes the most sense for me,โ Smith said. โIf Billy Joe fights Canelo, then thereโs Caleb Plant, IBF champion, David Benavidez, WBC champion. Danny Jacobs has just stepped up and beat Chavez. Heโs a big name, a huge name in the States. Heโs a good fighter, someone I do rate.
โI feel Iโm the best in the world and I believe I can cement that by beating some of the bigger names out there and Danny Jacobs definitely is one.โ
It is unclear how future boxing events will be staged in a world blighted by the coronavirus pandemic. But itโs plausible that it will come back in different states in America at different times. Smith is perfectly prepared to travel for the Jacobs fight. โIโm not one of these whoโs hell bent on home advantage, I will go to the States. I believe Iโll perform wherever the fight is,โ he said.
He points out, โI donโt need Canelo Alvarez to be involved in big fights.โ Light-heavyweight, as well as super-middle, is stacked with world-class potential opponents. โ[Dmitry] Bivolโs another good fighter, I boxed him in the amateurs. Heโs a good fighter. Thereโs a lot of good ones who arenโt champions, Marcus Browne, Badou Jack. Thereโs a lot of good names there,โ Smith said.
When Smith was an amateur welterweight, he was in camp in Russia with Artur Beterbiev, now the unified WBC and IBF light-heavyweight champion. โHe dropped a couple in sparring. We kind of knew that before going over there he was heavy-handed and he proved it while we were over there. Iโve seen a lot of his fights, heโs put a load away and he continued to do it in the pros,โ Smith said.
Smith was training alongside gym-mate Callum Johnson ahead of the latterโs gallant world title loss to Beterbiev. โTactically I thought him and Joe [Gallagher, their trainer] got it spot on,โ Smith said. โ[Beterbiev] is a little vulnerable himself. He can be hurt, heโs not invincible.
โHe can be hurt but he can certainly hurt his opponents.
โI do believe Iโm good enough and big enough to compete at world level and win a world title at 175lbs. Iโve always said itโs inevitable at some point. [But] Iโve always said Iโd like to achieve as much as I can at 168lbs before making the jump up.โ