It looks like big steps are being made towards a super middleweight clash between Callum Smith (27-0-0 19KO) and pound-for-pound king, Saul Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2 36KO).
The fight has been talked about for a long time and according to Eddie Hearn the bout looks close to materialising.
Many opponents have been lined up for Canelo, including potential title fights against WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders and IBF champion Caleb Plant. Other options include a trilogy against Gennady Golovkin.
But with Saunders set to defend his WBO title against Martin Murray, it looks like Smith is next in line for the Mexican superstar according to Hearn.
Smith v Canelo close?
In an interview with Boxing Social, Hearn revealed that talks are ongoing between Team Canelo and Matchroom.
“I think he wants to fight in December” Hearn told Boxing Social.
This is exciting for the Liverpudlian as the biggest fight of his career could be less than a month away.
There had also been talk of Smith fighting Canelo at Anfield, similarly to how Tony Bellew had his fight at Goodison Park. Unfortunately due to the present circumstances this does not seem feasible.
As it stands the most likely venue would be in the US with the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the favourite. No official talks have been confirmed but rumours suggest that the date would be around the 15-20th of next month.
Both men have been out of the ring since November 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith last fought at the M&S bank arena in a very tight battle against fellow Brit John Ryder. ‘Mundo’ Smith came out on top with a unanimous decision victory against the London based southpaw.
In Canelo’s last fight he became a four-weight world champion as he jumped up in weight to light heavyweight. Alvarez won the WBO title bout via a brutal eleventh-round KO of the talented Sergey Kovalev.
Trouble in Canelo camp?
Recently, Canelo has sued broadcaster DAZN and former promotion company Golden Boy Boxing after they failed to find the Mexican his next opponent. As a result Canelo is a free agent and this could make negotiations between Alvarez and Matchroom a smooth process.
Despite Canelo falling out with DAZN, Hearn seems to believe that the fight would be broadcasted on the streaming service.
“I’m speaking with Eddy, and Eddy wants Canelo to fight Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, Caleb Plant, and Gennady Golovkin. Three of those are with DAZN, and the other is with PBC [Plant]. Nothing changes”
If the rumours materialise then it would no doubt be the biggest fight of Smith’s career. The bout would be a massive chance to upset one of the modern greats of the boxing world.
Hopefully the fight can be made between the two WBA belt holders in the next few months.
Do you think that Smith could be the man to stop Canelo? Let us know @merseysportlive on Twitter.
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