Callum Smith Returns To Undercard: Hearn Needs A New Strategy For Aging Star

Callum Smith will finally return to action in two weeks against a still-to-be-determined opponent on November 30th at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.

The 34-year-old former WBA super middleweight champion Smith (29-2, 24 KOs) will be fighting on the undercard of Sunny Edwards vs. Galal Yafai, which isn’t a good look for him.

Going from being a main event fighter to fighting on the undercard of a flyweight scrap between Edwards and Yafai is a pretty drastic fall for Smith, but it reflects where his career is at.

Tuneups Not Helping Callum

Smith has lost two out of his last four fights since 2020, and two tuneup fights Matchroom gave him in between the first defeat didn’t help. Promoter Eddie Hearn might as well have skipped the tuneups and thrown Smith in with the Wolves immediately.

The flaws in Smith’s game that John Ryder and Canelo Alvarez revealed were still present when he fought unified 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev on January 13th.

Fans are not eager to see the stork-like 6’3″ Smith returning to the ring on November 30th, as many of them have 100% given up on him, viewing his career as a sinking ship that can’t be saved from sinking. Promoter Eddie Hearn shouldn’t waste too many fights on a rebuild with Smith like he did with Anthony Joshua because it won’t help. This is as good as it gets for him, and he won’t improve.

The ideal thing would be for Hearn to match Callum against a tomato can on November 30th and then set him up to fight against the winner of the February 1st fight between David Benavidez and WBA ‘regular’ light heavyweight champion David Morrell.

If Smith can fight the winner of that fight in a Riyadh season event, it would be a nice payday and give him a chance of getting lucky and winning. A victory for Smith over the winner of that fight would set him up for a lucrative fight for the undisputed at 175 against Beterbiev or Bivol.

Mundo is back 💥 @callumsmith23

Returning to the ring in Birmingham ready to get back in the mix 👊 #EdwardsYafai live on @daznboxing, November 30 pic.twitter.com/Hx5AcVFmXc

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 17, 2024