Former Super Middleweight world champion Callum Smith returns to the boxing ring next weekend, albeit ‘Mundo’ is out of the main event spotlight as he reverts to the undercard for Edwards vs Yafai.
Thankfully, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says Smith’s undercard placement won’t last long, with the team eyeing a “big, big fight” in early 2025 against one of four enormous opponents.
Eddie Hearn on Callum Smith’s future ahead of Mundo’s return to action
Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith returns to action on the undercard of Sunny Edwards vs Galal Yafai next weekend in Birmingham, England, although we still don’t know who his opponent will be.
“Callum has done it all; won the world championship at 168, won the Ring Magazine belt, fought Canelo Alvarez, moved up to light heavyweight, fought Artur Beterbiev for the unified world title,” Eddie Hearn stated via Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.
Hearn explained how after that hard-fought loss to Beterbiev, Smith had some serious self-reflecting to do; but now that Mundo has his mind right, it’s time to lace up the gloves once again.
“When he came up short in Quebec, I wasn’t sure if we’d see him again; he’s made a lot of money, he’s got a lovely life. Sometimes you need that time to reflect, and your stomach and your heart will tell you what to do next. You just need that time.
“He’ll return in an eight-round fight, get rid of the cobwebs from the Beterbiev fight and then he’s straight in,” said Heran, before teasing that his next big matchup could come against one of four opponents.
“Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yarde, Lyndon Arthur, even Dmitry Bivol, any of these big opportunities at 175… Just one little run out, which will be next week, and after that, anyone you want.”
None of those four names have their next fight booked, with Buatsi, Yarde, and Arthur all coming off decision wins respectively – Bivol famously dropped a majority decision to Beterbiev in October.
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Hearn claimed that Smith will land “a big, big fight in Q1 of 2025,” before noting that he’s looking forward to seeing the Liverpudlian back in action – even if it is just for eight rounds.
“It’s still expensive for an eight-rounder when it’s Callum Smith, but it doesn’t really matter, it’s just about getting that loss out of your mind, looking good, making a statement, going through the process of training camp, sparring, fight week, everything, because you want that momentum going into that next big fight.”
That being said, there is still some pressure on Smith not to slip on the unknown banana-peel next weekend in Birmingham: “If he loses the next big fight, his career will be in question. It will be a big domestic fight, hopefully with world title ramifications.”
That event is scheduled for Saturday, November 30 at the BP Pulse Live arena in Birmingham, England.