EARLIER this month promoter Eddie Hearn told Boxing News that there was a “big name still to be added” to his November 30 show.
The card headlined by Sunny Edwards vs. Galal Yafai now has its 10th fight and features former WBA super-middleweight champion Callum Smith against an opponent still to be announced. Matchroom’s latest UK show takes place at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, the second time Hearn and his team have staged an event there in 2024.
In January Smith travelled to Canada and fought Artur Beterbiev hoping to become a two-weight world champion. The Russian light-heavyweight defended his three belts in clinical fashion stopping ‘Mundo’ in the seventh round.
The 34-year-old has had some time away from boxing since then and on June 1 got married to his partner Kim. Ironically, on that date boxing celebrated it’s first undisputed light-heavyweight champion since June 1999 when Roy Jones Jr accomplished the feat during the three-belt era. Beterbiev became the first to do it in the four-belt era when he beat Dmitry Bivol on points after a riveting contest.
Three weeks after his second career loss – the first coming against Canelo Alvarez at 168lbs – BN asked Smith about his future and if he would continue boxing.
“I’m not making any decisions,” he said. “I’ll probably find it hard walking away knowing I never quite fulfilled what I set out to do.
“It was always about goals and achievements. If I can find goals that’ll motivate me and get me in the gym, I’ll carry on boxing as long as needs be.”
In the sanctioning body rankings Smith is ranked fourth with the WBC and at 10 with the WBO and IBF, respectively. Despite his hunger for another world title a potential domestic fight against Anthony Yarde has long been linked to him and could yet be in the future for both men in 2025.