Callum Smith is a young, talented fighter who is widely regarded as one of the rising forces in the sport of boxing. Such a reputation has been forged with emphatic performances such as the one round TKO victory this past weekend.
Smith found himself fighting for the European title against the awkward and durable Hadillah Mohoumadi with mandatory status for the WBC title also on the line.
Many predicted a long, relatively tough fight for Smith but one that he would win. Mohoumadi had gone the distance with the current IBF world champion James Degale before and was not seen as a good test at this stage of Smith’s career.
Standing in the ring as the fight started the natural size difference between the pair was evident with Smith seeming a weight or two above the French native. He looked huge in comparison to Mohoumadi.
The fight began is surprise fashion with Mohoumadi going on the offensive and looking to unload. Smith covered up and countered with a nicely timed left hook. Smith realised he had his man hurt and followed up with an assault to both the body and head.
Mohoumadi looked to have survived the storm and regrouped landing some decent shots of his own when Smith then unleashed a barrage of shots. Mohoumadi was forced onto the ropes and taking some heavy shots when referee Francisco Rosa stepped in to end the contest.
This was a highly impressive performance that has sent a huge wave crashing through the super middleweight division. Smith had blown away a tough, game opponent in brutal fashion and now his reputation is soaring to an all time high.
The likes of world title challenger Tony Bellew are stating that Smith would defeat any world champion in the division with the exception of Degale right now. With such performances it is hard to disagree.
Aged 25 Smith holds a 19-0 undefeated professional record containing 14 wins by way of knock out. He has highlighted knockout punch power both to the head and body, skill and the ability to box effectively to a game plan.
Standing at six foot, three inches tall, Smith is huge for the weight and is capable of using his reach to keep opponents at range and outbox them. This isn’t however what he has become famed for with his best work done up close.
For someone so tall he is remarkably good up-close as he pounds away to the body and really hurts his opponents. He seems to have all that is needed to become world champion and with his mandatory status now in place it would seem only a matter of time before he becomes the latest Smith brother to become world champion.
His brother Liam is the WBO light middleweight champion, brother Stephen is due to fight for the IBF super featherweight crown and eldest brother Paul is a former world title challenger.
If Callum is to become world champion then he will have to get past the current WBC champion Badou Jack.
Jack has seen his reputation increase dramatically in the past year with victories over Anthony Dirrell and George Groves and will provide a significant challenge for Smith.
Jack is due to defend his title against former champion Lucien Bute in a few weeks time before looking to unify the titles.
Jack has been linked with facing the aforementioned James Degale in a unification fight but doubts have been raised as to the likelihood of such a contest at this stage. The money that each fighter will want to take the fight may not be available.
Degale and Jack are both very good fighters but they are not fighters with massive fanbases and they lack the appeal to be PPV fighters at the moment.
With this in mind Jack may end up facing Smith next provided that he does indeed defeat Bute. Smith doesn’t seem in too much of rush for his shot at the title though with the knowledge that he is improving every day and with time on his side.
Jack may well be the champion but most British boxing fans will be expecting Smith to rip the title from him when they do eventually meet. This is no disrespect to Jack who is an underrated fighter but Smith appears an altogether greater talent.
There are some huge domestic fights out there for Smith in the coming years with the likes of James Degale, Martin Murray and George Groves all viable options. He has the potential to become a major star of the sport if he promoted correctly and I for one cannot wait to see his progression over the next year.
It is hard not to get too excited by what we see from Callum Smith as every time he steps up he delivers. He has won the English title in one round, the British title in one round and now the European title in one round.
The chances of such a trend continuing in a world title fight is of course small but with Callum Smith you really cannot be sure. He is a dangerous fighter with huge talent and a sensible head on his shoulders.
For now he will enjoy his latest success before patiently waiting for his shot at the title. To those American readers who are yet to see Callum Smith I urge you to watch his fights. He is a star in the making and he is coming to you soon with intentions of ripping the title from America.
– Samuel Constantinou-Coulter / @samsboxinghaven
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