CALLUM SMITH is well aware that Canelo Alvarez is theย biggest name in the sportย today. Heโs seen Canelo fight and beat his own brother, Liam Smith in the past. Heโs seen Canelo move up to super-middleweight and take out one of his own former opponents in Rocky Fielding. He hopes one day to get that fight for himself but is aware that even boxing on the next Alvarez bill in Las Vegas would enhance his profile and boost his own career.
Alvarez will box Danny Jacobs on May 4 to unify the WBC, IBF and WBA middleweight title at the T-Mobile Arena. Callum Smith, who won the WBA super-middleweight title against George Groves, is looking to build momentum and boxing on that bill in Las Vegas would be a high profile outing for him.
โThe bigger the show, the more eyes that are watching, the more interest itโll get, the more it gets my name out there. Iโve still got to perform and deliver on the night but the bigger the show, the bigger the audience,โ Smith said.
โThatโs the dream one, [the Canelo fight itself]. I think every fighter in the world from middleweight to super-middleweight is probably hoping that fight gets offered to them. Itโs a lottery whether you get it,” he added. โThe Canelos and the Golovkins, theyโre massive names so of course any fighter would want to be involved in those fights. If theyโre not possible, then the other champions theyโre the fights that make me stand up and take notice and make me get excited to want to go into camp and train to prove Iโm the best in the world. I believe I am but thereโs three other people with world titles who probably believe they are as wellโฆ I would like to try my best to clear that situation up.โ
Caleb Plant, the new IBF champion, would be the ideal fight for him. โUnification is definitely something I want to be involved in in 2019,โ Smith said. โI donโt know whatโs happening with [Gilberto] Ramirez, whether heโs given up or whether he hasnโt given up [the WBO super-middleweight title].โ
Ramirez is moving up to light-heavy for a contest and Billy Joe Saunders has announced that heโll fight little known Shefat Isufi for the vacant title. โ[Saunders] of course itโs one Iโd like, if heโs got a belt at my weight then heโs on my radar. The fact that heโs British makes it more in demand from the British fans. Whether it would be difficult to make or easy to make, Iโm not too sureโฆ It all depends on the time and the promoters and what not. But these are world champions and Iโm a world champion in the same weight division, I do believe itโs inevitable those fights should happen, but weโll wait and see,โ Smith said.
Anthony Dirrell also won the WBC 168lbs title at the weekend. Before he entered the World Boxing Super Series Smith had had a long wait to not get a fight with Dirrell for that title. โThe WBC belt is something I would like to have, whether Iโd like to go into negotiations with Anthony Dirrell again is a different matter. But I believe [David] Benavidez is champion in recess, heโs fighting JโLeon Love next month and then he plans on fighting Dirrell. By the time I fight for the WBC I think Benavidez could champion again, which could be a massive fight for me,โ Smith said. โI think the nine months waiting for the original fight to happen put me off having to deal with him [Dirrell].โ
Caleb Plant therefore is the fight to push for. Smith reflected, โIf they offered me the Plant fight, itโs a fight Iโd jump at. A good fight, heโs unbeaten, talented and I was impressed with him when he won the title – but definitely a fighter I believe Iโve got the beating of. So theyโre the fights Iโm looking for. If he wants to unify the division as much as I want to then Iโm sure itโs a fight that can happen.โ
For Callum Smithโs take on Chris Eubank Jnrโs win over James DeGale donโt miss this weekโs issue of Boxing News magazine.