Callum Smith will come back in an eight-rounder on November 30 on the Sunny Edwards-Galal Yafai undercard, Eddie Hearn has confirmed, with the promoter promising ‘a big, big fight’ to follow in early 2025 should the veteran emerge victorious.
The return of Smith was announced last weekend to end speculation over the 34-year-old’s future. The light heavyweight contender and former WBC super middleweight titlist has been out of the ring since January when he suffered a one-sided loss to 175 supremo Artur Beterbiev in Quebec City. It marked the second loss in Smith’s 29-2 (21 KOs) career, with the first coming at the hands of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in December 2020.
Hearn admitted he feared the loss to Beterbiev might have been Smith’s last fight and over the course of the last 10 months there has been speculation that “Mundo”, financially secure, might announce his retirement.
“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,” Hearn said on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.
“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.
“What happened was, he was sitting on the sofa, watching the boxing on TV: ‘I’m not done yet, I feel like I’ve got great performances in me, I feel like I’ve got a world championship in me.’”
It remains to be seen if the fire really has been reignited within Smith, but the incentive to win and look good doing so is huge.
“He’ll return in an eight-round fight, get rid of the cobwebs from the Beterbiev fight and then he’s straight in. Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yarde, Lyndon Arthur, even Dmitry Bivol, any of these big opportunities at 175,” Hearn continued.
“Just one little run out, which will be next week, and after that, anyone you want.
I’m excited. Sometimes it feels like a new signing [when fighters come back]. We’ve been with Callum since his professional debut so we’re looking forward to the run out in Birmingham – then he will be in a big, big fight in Q1 of 2025.”
Though Smith will get decent money for his tuneup in Birmingham, the Liverpudlian looks set for at least one more huge payday next year.
“It’s still expensive for an eight-rounder when it’s Callum Smith,” Hearn remarked with a smile. “But [for him] 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.
“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.”
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