Callum Smith has dismissed suggestions that his defeat by Artur Beterbiev has taken from him the ability to overcome Joshua Buatsi.
Smith and Buatsi fight on Saturday at the lesser known Venue Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight champion Beterbiev’s rematch with Dmitry Bivol.
It was in January 2024 when Beterbiev inflicted in seven rounds the only stoppage defeat of Smith’s fine career, since when Smith has fought only five rounds – in November, when stopping the little-known Carlos Galvan.
If the 34-year-old Smith represents a significant step up in class for the undefeated Buatsi, Buatsi, similarly, represents a significant step up from Galvan.
Buatsi, 31, has considerable momentum after victories in 2024 over Dan Azeez and Willy Hutchinson. Unlike Smith he is, however, untested among the best in the world – even if Smith’s experience with Beterbiev potentially puts him at risk of being damaged as a fighter in the same way as so many of the Russian’s other previous opponents.
The destructive Beterbiev’s fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol may yet prove another on Saturday evening – it has been suggested that Anthony Yarde, like Smith and Buatsi from Britain, is already doing so – but Smith, whose only previous defeat came in 2020 when he went the distance with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is adamant that even if they do, he will not.
“If I had, I wouldn’t be here,” he told BoxingScene. “I don’t need to fight. It’s not a sport I need to do.
“I do it because I believe I’m good enough to be a two-weight world champion. The minute I believe I’m not good enough to do it, or I believe it’s not achievable, then I’ll sail off into the sunset as a former world champion. I ticked that box; I achieved that dream I made.
“I don’t need the sport anymore. I do it because I feel there’s more I can achieve, and that’s that.
“I’ve had a good camp. Sparring’s gone well. Everything’s kind of where it needs to be.
“I’ve done a lot of 12-round camps, and you kind of know your own body. You know where you need to be at certain parts of camp.
“As far as camps go, no camp’s perfect, but this one’s been pretty decent, so yeah, I’m confident. I can go in there and I can perform the way I know I can.
“To be a two-weight world champion [is the reason I fight on], and the minute I’ve done that, there’s not really much left for me to achieve in the sport.
“I’ve always set goals and chased them. I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve achieved almost every one. The one I haven’t is the Olympic Games, and I feel that was took out of my hands.
“But other than that, I’ve always achieved them. I’ve set a goal now of being a two-weight world champion, and I still haven’t quite got there yet [Smith was once the world’s leading super middleweight]. So that’s why I’m still here.
“I’ve always said I’ll fight as long as I’m motivated. There’s things I can chase. At the minute, it’s two-weight world champion.
“Fingers crossed I can achieve that. We’ll see what’s out there. I’m not getting any younger.
I’ve got a young family at home [wife Kimberley, and children Alba and River, six and three], which I enjoy spending time with. I’d rather spend my time with them than going to the gym and going away to camp. Your priority changes as you get older.
“But I’m not planning on hanging around for years and years. I’m not one of those fighters like you’ve seen who just loves the sport and loves fighting. That’s never been me. I’ve got two kids.”
Buatsi – not unlike once applied to Smith – has long been recognised as one of Britain’s most promising fighters. But where he once appeared on course to fight Bivol, like Smith, he needs victory on Saturday to earn the opportunity to finally test himself against the best in his division. Similarly importantly, particularly for his reputation, is the reality that he requires victory over Smith if he is to finally justify the excitement that surrounded his turning professional following the bronze medal he earned at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
He had been on course to fight Yarde in the summer of 2024 until a dispute between Yarde and Queensberry Promotions, Yarde’s long-term promoter, led to him instead being matched with Hutchinson. A fight with Yarde, curiously – particularly given Smith’s achievements – was also being sold as one to determine Britain’s leading light heavyweight.
“He’s good, but I think, along with most of the British public, I don’t think we really know how good he is,” Smith said. “He won an Olympic bronze medal, which was a great achievement. [But] I think we’re still waiting for his career to catch fire. I think it was nine years ago, this summer, his Olympic bronze medal.
“But he’s still technically never fought for a world title. Nine years as an Olympic medallist. I think when you look at other fighters from those games – like Shakur Stevenson, Joe Cordina – they moved a lot quicker.
“So I don’t know his talent and potential-wise. He’s very good, but I still think we’re yet to see his full potential for whatever reasons.
“Hutchinson’s a talented fighter, but he’s never won anything. He’s never won a British title. I’d probably say Dan Azeez, on paper, is probably [Buatsi’s] best win in terms of credentials.
“He’s just a good box fighter. He’s technically pretty correct. He can box.
“He’s taller than, probably, what people realise, and he’s 6ft 2ins. He’s got good boxing ability and he can stand and fight where needs be. He’s probably a decent all-rounder.
“Some people are flamboyant, flashy or come-forward fighters. I think he’s a mixture. He can do a bit of both.
“We’ve had the camp to work on things. Certain shots; certain things we feel will pay off in the fight. We’re quite confident with the game plan we’ve got. We can go in there and get the job done.
“He’s a good fighter. I’ve never said he isn’t, but I’ve never looked at him and thought he was a fighter who I believed I couldn’t beat. It’s always a fight I’ve liked.”
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