The first knockout loss of Callum Smith’s career understandably still stings the former WBA super middleweight champion.
With the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles all out of his reach in the foreseeable future, Smith isn’t sure whether he’ll continue to fight. The 33-year-old Liverpool native believes he can still win at the championship level, but he has earned enough money in boxing to secure the financial futures of his young daughter and son and could find it difficult to get up for non-title fights.
Smith admitted during a recent interview with Boxing News, though, that a fight against Anthony Yarde is one such challenge that might motivate him enough to return to the ring. A domestic clash between those British light heavyweight contenders has been mentioned by rival British promoters Eddie Hearn (Smith) and Frank Warren (Yarde) as a possible bout for their five-versus-five fight card.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, is working with Warren and Hearn on the fights that’ll compose that Matchroom Boxing versus Queensberry Promotions card. The matchups and date for that show will be announced, according to Alalshikh, early in March at the final press conference for the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou pay-per-view card March 8 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The timing might not be ideal for Smith, whose wedding is scheduled for this summer, but he is interested in fighting Yarde. Smith (29-2, 21 KOs) and Yarde (24-3, 23 KOs) are the last two opponents Beterbiev beat in fights for the Russian knockout artist’s IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles.
“That’s a good fight,” Smith, whom Beterbiev beat by seventh-round knockout January 13 in Quebec City, Canada, told Boxing News during an interview that was posted to its YouTube channel. “Look, definitely, that’s a fight, outside the world champions, is probably one of the better fights to make in the division. So, look, it depends on the timing and whatnot. And it’s definitely a fight that motivates you. So, there’s a lotta good, say domestic fights, but they’re not really domestic level. So, it’s definitely a fight that is an option regardless of what decision I make on the future. I don’t know what his plans are. I don’t know whether he’s fighting anytime soon.”
Ilford’s Yarde, 32, is scheduled to box Serbian veteran Marko Nikolic (32-3, 12 KOs) in a 10-round fight February 10 at Copper Box Arena in London.
Whether he faces Yarde or another opponent, Smith realizes, that because Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs), who owns the WBA belt, are on a collision course that he’ll have to embrace bouts below the championship level in the light heavyweight division.
“I think it’s a bit of a weird division now, where all the belts are gonna be tied up,” Smith said. “So, it’s gonna leave everyone else left to sit and now make fights with each other. And now I’ve seen [a fight with Yarde] mentioned quite a bit. It’ll be a good show. I think they’re saying they’ll announce the fights soon, so it’s interesting to see what fights do get made on that, but, you know, I’ve seen that fight mentioned all the time. It’d be ideal in a different, you know, thing.
“We could fight for a world title, and the same with the other domestic ones, but the way it lies in the division now it doesn’t look like that’s gonna be possible anytime soon. So, I think that’s something you’ve gotta just get in there and fight for just pride and just if it’s a good fight, it’s a good fight. So, as I say, I’ll take some time away with my family, get married and then we’ll see what the future holds. But look, there’s a lotta good fights out there for me, regardless of what decision I make.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.