Callum Smith will take on Joshua Buatsi on Saturday to determine who will be next in line for the light-heavyweight crown.
Callum Smith, now 30-2, is set for potentially one of the toughest nights of his career against Joshua Buatsi in one of the opening bouts of boxing’s biggest card to date – Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2.
Smith, whose only losses have come at the hands of Artur Beterbiev and Canelo Alvarez, campaigned for much of his career as a super-middleweight, but has fought in the light-heavyweight division for his last four fights.
The Liverpudlian last fought in November after a ten-month period out of the ring following his first stoppage loss, and one fellow light-heavyweight contender has stated the Scouser even admitted he was retired.
Anthony Yarde says Callum Smith’s team told him he was retired
Anthony Yarde, 26-3, said whilst speaking to Box Nation that there were multiple fights he tried to make before landing on a Lyndon Arthur trilogy.
Yarde is scheduled to face Arthur for the third time, after losing in their first encounter but avenging his loss in their second.
Yarde said: “We tried to get the fight with Buatsi… I don’t want to say too much but now he’s fighting Callum Smith.”
He also revealed that he tried to make a fight with Smith himself: “We tried to get the fight with Callum Smith. Callum Smith said he was retired.”
This comes as something of a shock as despite Smith allegedly considering retirement, there was never an announcement that the Brit had actually hung up the gloves.
Either way, ‘Mundo’ Smith is back and keen to take Buatsi’s WBO interim title on Saturday night.
Buatsi is undefeated with a record of 19-0, though has not fought opposition of as high a level, with his best wins being over the likes of Willy Hutchinson, Craig Richards and Ricards Bolotniks.
Callum Smith has fought both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol
Many are aware of Smith’s unsuccessful attempt at the light-heavyweight titles against Beterbiev last year, but most are not aware that Smith has also fought Beterbiev’s main-event dance partner – Dmitry Bivol.
Smith was stopped in the seventh round against Beterbiev, with the scorecards at the time reading as follows: 56-58, 56-58, 55-59.
Whilst his encounter with Beterbiev occurred during his professional career, it was in his amateur days that ‘Mundo’ faced Bivol.
In what was one of his last amateur bouts, Smith fought Bivol in 2012, the same year he turned over as a professional. The pair fought in the 2012 Bocskai Memorial quarter-finals, where Bivol picked up a points decision win over Smith.
Smith will be watching closely to see who wins in the main event on Saturday.
Also on the card, Zhilei Zhang, who almost died against Jerry Forrest, takes on dark horse contender Agit Kabayel, and Hamzah Sheeraz steps up against Carlos Adames for his first world title shot.
Sheeraz insisted he wouldn’t pray for a victory over Adames, as that would give him an ‘unfair advantage’.
In recent developments, Joseph Parker will now face Martin Bakole, who KO’d Jared Anderson, after Daniel Dubois was taken ill, with promoter Eddie Hearn revealing Bakole’s weakness and why Parker may beat him.
Parker’s manager revealed Joe Joyce was a top pick for Dubois’ replacement until Bakole stepped up.
All of this and more is topped off with Bivol aiming to avenge his sole career defeat, and Beterbiev, who claims he doesn’t like hitting people, seeking to cement his legacy as an elite talent on boxing’s biggest card to date.