Smith wants to face Plant

Callum Smith

CALLUM SMITH is well aware that Canelo Alvarez is theย biggest name in the sportย today. Heโ€™s seen Canelo fight and beat his own brother, Liam Smith in the past. Heโ€™s 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.

โ€œThe bigger the show, the more eyes that are watching, the more interest itโ€™ll get, the more it gets my name out there. Iโ€™ve still got to perform and deliver on the night but the bigger the show, the bigger the audience,โ€ Smith said.

โ€œThatโ€™s 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. Itโ€™s a lottery whether you get it,” he added. โ€œThe Canelos and the Golovkins, theyโ€™re massive names so of course any fighter would want to be involved in those fights. If theyโ€™re not possible, then the other champions theyโ€™re 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 Iโ€™m the best in the world. I believe I am but thereโ€™s three other people with world titles who probably believe they are as wellโ€ฆ 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. โ€œUnification is definitely something I want to be involved in in 2019,โ€ Smith said. โ€œI donโ€™t know whatโ€™s happening with [Gilberto] Ramirez, whether heโ€™s given up or whether he hasnโ€™t given up [the WBO super-middleweight title].โ€

callum smith

Ramirez is moving up to light-heavy for a contest and Billy Joe Saunders has announced that heโ€™ll fight little known Shefat Isufi for the vacant title. โ€œ[Saunders] of course itโ€™s one Iโ€™d like, if heโ€™s got a belt at my weight then heโ€™s on my radar. The fact that heโ€™s British makes it more in demand from the British fans. Whether it would be difficult to make or easy to make, Iโ€™m not too sureโ€ฆ It all depends on the time and the promoters and what not. But these are world champions and Iโ€™m a world champion in the same weight division, I do believe itโ€™s inevitable those fights should happen, but weโ€™ll 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. โ€œThe WBC belt is something I would like to have, whether Iโ€™d like to go into negotiations with Anthony Dirrell again is a different matter. But I believe [David] Benavidez is champion in recess, heโ€™s fighting Jโ€™Leon 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. โ€œI 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, โ€œIf they offered me the Plant fight, itโ€™s a fight Iโ€™d jump at. A good fight, heโ€™s unbeaten, talented and I was impressed with him when he won the title – but definitely a fighter I believe Iโ€™ve got the beating of. So theyโ€™re the fights Iโ€™m looking for. If he wants to unify the division as much as I want to then Iโ€™m sure itโ€™s a fight that can happen.โ€

For Callum Smithโ€™s take on Chris Eubank Jnrโ€™s win over James DeGale donโ€™t miss this weekโ€™s issue of Boxing News magazine.

Share Page