Callum Smith-Luke Blackledge British Title Clash In Play, Nov. 26

By Elliot Foster

Callum Smith is set for another interim fight before his shot at a world title.

The Liverpudlian, 26, is the number one contender to Badou Jack’s WBC super-middleweight title.

But Smith, 21-0 (16 KOs), looks like he will have another warm-up before being thrown in at the deep end.

The WBC Silver champion was last in action on September 10 at London’s O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office, as part of the undercard to Gennady Golovkin’s successful world middleweight title defence against IBF welterweight king Kell Brook.

And Boxing Scene understands that ‘Mundo’, who ousted the challenge of game Hungarian Norbert Nemesapati inside seven rounds on that aforementioned September date, will box on the same platform in his next fight.

British and European champion Smith is believed to have been handed a spot on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s next IBF heavyweight world title defence, against an opponent to be named, on November 26 at Manchester Arena.

There is an agreement in place for Smith to defend his Lonsdale belt against mandatory challenger Luke Blackledge on a date and at a venue to be advised by promoter Eddie Hearn, of Matchroom, who won the bids.

‘Scene has been informed that the fight will land on the next Joshua bill, with Smith’s gym-mate Marcus Morrison (13-0, 10 KOs) also forming part of the supporting cast alongside Scott Quigg, the former Super WBA super-bantamweight champion, who is making his return from injury following defeat to Carl Frampton in February.

Blackledge (21-2-2, 7 KOs) was last in action in Bolton in May, live on BoxNation, when he knocked out Ishmael Tetteh of Ghana inside five rounds to retain his Commonwealth title at 168lbs.

The 26-year-old, who is a former custodian of the WBC International Silver belt at the weight, shares a common opponent with Smith in the shape of Rocky Fielding.

Smith stopped Fielding inside a round to win the vacant British belt in Liverpool last November and Fielding inflicted the same damage on Blackledge when the pair contested the vacant Commonwealth belt in Manchester two years earlier.

Although no official confirmation of the fight between Smith and Blackledge has yet been released, further details will be revealed in due course.