Callum Smith is relishing having re-established himself towards the top of the light-heavyweight division with victory over Joshua Buatsi.
At the age of 34, and having been surprised to have been made an underdog against Buatsi having only lost to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev and not seen Buatsi fight at the highest level, he revived his career in a potentially defining fight by earning a unanimous decision at the Venue Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening.
Smith was awarded scores of 119-110, 116-112 and 115-113 at the conclusion of an entertaining and competitive contest in which he was cut severely enough to need to go to hospital immediately after recording one of his most impressive wins.
In earning the lightly regarded WBO interim title from his previously undefeated, 31-year-old opponent he also put himself on course to again fight Beterbiev or even Dmitry Bivol – the Russians are expected to fight for a third time later in 2025 – and similarly demonstrated that a lucrative contest with David Benavidez is another of the most appealing that can be made.
His victory came little more than six months after a potential contest between Buatsi and Anthony Yarde was being presented as capable of determining Britain’s leading light heavyweight. It also came little over a year after his only stoppage defeat, by Beterbiev, which had contributed so much to suggestions that he is in decline.
“I’ve had two losses,” he told iFL TV. “The two people who beat me put me on the back foot. People don’t realise I’m a very, very good inside fighter – I’m very, very good up close and knew in that type of fight I could get on top. I thought [Buatsi would] try and smother me; get closer; get his inside work off. But I knew I’d beat him in that type of fight.
“I was beating him at range with the jab, but up close, Buddy [McGirt, my trainer] was telling me to stay inside and shorten my shots up. It’s probably what made it a better fight to watch, but I’m glad I showed that. People forgot that with the two fights I lost.
“At the weigh-in [one of Buatsi’s team] was shouting over his shoulder, ‘He’s damaged goods’, which I think’s a bit disrespectful. I get you’ve gotta hype your man up, but we had a young fighter lose his life a couple of weeks ago. Shouting stuff like that’s a little disrespectful. He come in the changing rooms to watch me get me hands wrapped and made a few comments that I thought were disrespectful. But I bit me lip and afterwards said, ‘Don’t ever speak to me like that’, and he said, ‘I’ve got to shit talk a bit’. I’m clearly not [damaged goods]. Not yet.”
Since his defeat by Alvarez in 2020, Smith’s career, and the perception of his abilities, has also been undermined by his relative inactivity, and the cut he suffered may yet prevent him from as early a return to the ring as he may have hoped for.
“When they looked at the cut they said it was cut inside as well – I probably need plastic surgery – but they had to stitch inside as well as outside,” he said. “I had to go there [to the hospital], get that checked over, scan the bones around there – they’re all okay. All stitched up.
“The plan all week was get in, get the job done, win, get out, have some pizza and sit and enjoy an amazing show [Smith and Buatsi had fought on the undercard of Beterbiev-Bivol II]. It didn’t quite go to plan – I had to go straight to hospital – and had to take me boots off as I was going to hospital. But I’m pleased with the result – I think I proved a lot of people wrong, and I’m happy.
“I thought that [119-110 scorecard] was very wide – that was a little bit harsh on Josh Buatsi. When it got announced I knew I’d won, because there’s no way he won that wide. I don’t think I won that wide, but the other two scorecards – it was eight-four, seven-five. I always felt I was ahead, but it was competitive and there were times where I felt like I was starting to turn the screw and then he’d rally back and get himself back into it. It was one of them fights. But from round one I felt I was always ahead. It was a tough fight – I took some shots. He took some shots. I didn’t realise how good a fight it was. It was just a tough fight.”
