Callum Smith returns to the ring over eight rounds against Carlos Galvan in Birmingham on Saturday amid speculation that he could fight Joshua Buatsi early in 2025.
As long as everything goes to plan, Smith, 29-2 (21 KOs), will immediately target the light-heavyweight division’s leading contenders.
Galvan, a Colombian based in Spain, is 20-14-2 (19 KOs).
In January 2024 Smith, the former world super-middleweight champion, was stopped by Artur Beterbiev in a challenge for the unified light heavyweight title.
For a while, it looked like the loss to Beterbiev – who went on to beat Dmitry Bivol to become the undisputed champion – may have ended Smith’s excellent career but the 34-year-old Liverpudlian has decided to pursue a final assault on the 175lbs division.
Rumors have begun to swirl about Smith potentially meeting the WBO interim champion Buatsi in February 2025.
Smith still harbors hopes of becoming a two-weight world champion, and beating the Londoner would provide him with a shortcut back to the top. Their fight would be a risk for Buatsi but Smith may just present the type of high-profile, lucrative challenge that would tempt him back into the ring if, as is widely expected, Beterbiev and Bivol agree to a rematch the same month.
Although rumours about an imminent agreement are premature, Smith’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, confirmed that Buatsi is exactly the type of opponent that Smith is looking for.
“I think it’s a great fight,” he told BoxingScene.
“Really, the talks that we’re having with Callum are about throwing him into a big fight. Anthony Yarde; Joshua Buatsi.
“I think there’s all kinds of fights that have been proposed through Riyadh Season.
“We’ve not spoken to Joshua Buatsi about that fight but we’ve put our name forward for any of those kind of fights for Callum Smith. This Saturday is just about getting a run out; getting a win after the Beterbiev defeat and just going for it in Q1 of next year.
“He wants to win a world title at 175 but he just wants to be in big fights.”
Smith’s brother, the former world title challenger Stephen, told BoxingScene that although Smith wants to get back in with the light heavyweight division’s biggest names, Saturday’s eight-round fight in Birmingham will be invaluable.
Facing Beterbiev was never going to be straightforward, but Smith never found his groove, and fighting just once in almost two-and-half-years beforehand may have played its part.
Rather than going into another big fight from a standing start, Smith can enter 2025 with some momentum behind him, and his brother insists that a fully fit, well-prepared Smith remains a fearsome prospect for anybody at 175lbs.
“I think the Buatsi one has been mentioned to him, and Callum’s Callum,” “Swifty” said. He’s got no problem fighting anyone in the division; it’s just he’s not going to make the same mistake twice
“He went into the fight against the number one, now the four-belt holder, in Artur Beterbiev, and he went into it after 17 months out, which is absolutely barmy, really, and it’s something that – looking back in hindsight – it was the wrong move. He should have fought beforehand.
“But going on after that one, sort of another year later, it will be 13 months if he just waits to February again, it’s just stupid. You can make mistakes but you can’t make the same mistake twice, especially not in boxing, and the boxing fans wouldn’t believe it as an excuse, either. He’s got to learn from it, and he’s shown that he is. It’s a short notice job but it’s about activity, getting out and being active.
“I’m his biggest fan. He’s unbelievable. Callum with momentum and a bit of activity, is a scary prospect. He’s boxed once a year for four years or so, so if he can start getting fights under his belt and building momentum again, he’s a force for anyone.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79
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