REMOTIVATED, reinvigorated and reappearing, the key to the second coming of Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith, 31-2 (22 KOs), was always going to be reliant on something that the Liverpudlian has struggled with of late – activity.
Yet, fresh from an enthralling victory over Joshua Buatsi last month, the former WBA super-middleweight champion’s quest for light-heavyweight glory is set to continue. The 34-year-old has revealed that he will not sit waiting for a title shot and is willing to risk his position if a clash at Anfield Stadium were offered.
After dominating at British level, the former Team GB member entered the World Boxing Super Series in 2017 and overcame Erik Skoglund and Nieky Holzken before a career-best win in the final saw Smith halt George Groves to become the WBA 168lb champion in 2018.
However, after two defences of the marble, Smith was trumped by pound-for-pound sensation Canelo Alvarez in late 2020 in a unification clash with the WBC champion, suffering a first career defeat.
Following that shortcoming, Smith moved up to light-heavyweight and scored two early knockout wins. He had fought just six rounds in over three years ahead of a showdown with unified champion Artur Beterbiev last January.
Like all victims, bar Dmitry Bivol, Smith was dispatched by Beterbiev inside of the distance in a first career knockout loss. Callum refused to give up on his goal of becoming a two-division world champion and returned with a stoppage of his own against Carlos Galvan in November.
Upon his return to the big stage, Smith was tasked with British rival Joshua Buatsi last month and the pair went toe-to-toe in a fight of the year candidate. It was the scouser who came out on top, claiming the WBO interim light-heavyweight title as a reward for his efforts.
Now mandatory for Dmitry Bivol, who is expected to vacate at least one of his titles in the near future, Smith finds himself right in the mix for world honours at light-heavyweight. His current position is expected to see him fight for a belt soon – either against Bivol or in a scrap for a possibly vacant WBO belt.
Today, on Sky Sports News, Smith revealed that he would be willing to risk that WBO interim title and subsequent mandatory challenger position to pursue a showdown at Anfield Stadium, home of his beloved Liverpool Football Club.
That opportunity would need to be against either WBC interim champion and mandatory challenger, David Benavidez, 30-0 (24 KOs), or Anthony Yarde, 26-3 (24 KOs), should the latter defeat Lyndon Arthur next month.
Yarde faces Arthur on the blockbuster Eubank-Benn bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26. The winner is expected to be thrust into further fringe world-level contests against domestic rivals such as Smith, Buatsi, or Willy Hutchinson.
