Over the course of two fights taking place less than a week apart, Stephen Smith will know the extent to which he has passed the greatest test of his abilities as a trainer.
It is on Saturday in Giza, Egypt, and in their first fight together when Jack Catterall will contest the WBA “regular” welterweight title against Shakhram Giyasov in what, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven, represents the promotion’s most appealing fight.
The following Friday, at London’s York Hall, Charlie Edwards then confronts Sikho Nqothole in an IBF junior-bantamweight eliminator, in what represents Edwards’ and Smith’s fifth fight together, and by extension a considerably different test to the one Catterall is about to take.
Catterall, 32 years old and proven at the highest level, has recruited Smith in recognition of Smith’s growing reputation as a trainer following one victory under the respected Derek “Bozy” Ennis, which in turn followed another victory under his then-long-term trainer Jamie Moore. Edwards, 33 and like Catterall also of England, is attempting to rebuild and return to the highest level. His first fight under Smith came in April 2024, when after a damaging period of inactivity and perhaps a loss of his identity he effectively started a comeback. After five fights together there is little question that, unlike perhaps with Catterall, the full extent of Smith’s influence on him can be judged.
Smith narrowly losing to Andrew Cain in their third fight means that another defeat will make it difficult for him to achieve his ambition of winning a world title in a second weight division, having previously reigned at flyweight. It also means that the outcome of the date with South Africa’s Nqothole will make or break how their partnership comes to be seen.
“It’s a massive opportunity for him,” Smith, a world-title challenger at junior lightweight, told BoxingScene. “Being a final eliminator, it takes everything out of the question – especially the IBF, who are pretty strict where if you’re in position you’ll get your shot. He wins his next fight, he’s fighting for the IBF title next.
“I don’t think the loss [to Cain, in March 2025] done him any favours, but he’s more suited to super fly – it’s more his division and he’s not eating up to the weight, which I’ve not seen anyone do at the lighter weights. This weight suits him more, and he’s got to learn from the likes of the Cain fight and go and put a performance in and make sure there’s no doubts.
“[The 31-year-old Nqothole’s] a very good fighter. But I think, stylistically, it suits Charlie really well. It’s a good fight for Charlie. He’s good at making distance up; he’s aggressive; he’s got a really good left side, but the way he sets up suits Charlie really well. I don’t think he’s been in with many fighters as good as Charlie. There’s levels, and Charlie can go about it and it’ll suit him more.
“[I] came up in the time when it was Sky Sports against [BoxNation] and stuff like that. This time round [with Edwards moving from Channel 5 to DAZN] it does take a lot of the obstacles out of the equation. You’ve seen a lot of Eddie [Hearn] and Frank [Warren] working together, which is only good for boxing. If it’s only on one channel it minimises fights not happening, which is good for us as fans.
“I’m very confident [Edwards can win another world title. Jesse Rodriguez] ‘Bam’s’ a standout in the division, obviously, but if he was in any weight division we’d be saying the same thing – he’s a pound-for-pound star. He’s an unbelievable fighter. But, by the looks of it, he’s fighting at bantam next, and there’s a lot of talk about him going up again for [Naoya] Inoue, so he could be gone from the division and if he is then it leaves the division wide open and I don’t really see anyone else that’s a standout that I don’t think Charlie could beat. I fancy strongly that he can become a two-weight world champion.
“I’ve had a busy period over the last couple of months, starting with Caoimhin [Agayrko, matched with Brandon Adams] over in Vegas, which was a bit of a mad experience for me – I’ve never had a fight fall through at the weigh-in. Next week Jack. I’ve been very busy. Jack’s fight’s huge in terms of the platform, being a world-title fight, and a very good opponent too. It’s as big as it gets for me at the moment, and a fight I’m really excited about and looking forward to.”
Should Edwards never win another fight, he will forever know that he once was a world champion. Catterall, on the occasion of some of the most controversial scorecards of the modern era, was denied the undisputed junior-welterweight title in a fight with Josh Taylor in 2022, and after winning under Ennis has therefore taken a calculated risk by choosing to fight under Smith next.
“Jack was doing some pads with John Gillies in the gym and approached me and asked if me and John would work with him,” Smith explained. “I said ‘Yeah, I’d love to’, and it’s gone from there. Meself and John have been working really well together with Jack and he’s in a really good place and we’re looking forward to people seeing a performance.
“It’s one fight at a time. We’ll see how it goes and stuff, but Jack’s happy and he looks really well in the gym.
“Under Jamie [Moore] he got a bit of a reputation of maybe just doing enough at times, and people see a massive change under ‘Bozy’ – his output was way higher than what it has been in previous fights, and we’ve seen that with the finish [of Ekow Essuman]. It was quite a dominant performance; it was a good finish. But I’ve seen a lot more of that through the camp, in sparring; his output’s really good. I’m really happy with where he’s at, and I think people will really enjoy his performance. I think it’s a good fight. It’s good opposition, and that will bring out the best in him.
“I don’t think it done him harm [to work under Ennis for only one fight]. He learned new styles; new techniques, and you’re seeing more from his output now, he’s becoming more of a dominant fighter. He’s not nicking rounds – I think he went out and dominated, and that can only add to his game. I rate Jack really highly. He’s a very good fighter, in terms of well-rounded [skills]. People notice when they get in the ring with him how good he is defensively as well as offensively. He’s definitely become more of a complete fighter with age.
“It’s world level. You’ve got to look to dominate rounds; I don’t think you can afford to go into fights hoping to nick them. The level of opposition – the kid’s not gonna wanna give close rounds himself. He was a top amateur. It makes for an exciting fight. The experience in America has helped Jack in terms of letting his hands go.
“Going off his last performance, his output was really high, it’s getting a middle ground where he uses his boxing ability but he’s a big puncher – he can let his hands go. He can take the fight by the scruff of the neck when he wants to.”
Should Catterall succeed against Giyasov, he will have recorded his highest-profile victory since that in the non-title rematch with Taylor and perhaps his most significant of all. He and those around him remain hopeful that a combination of victory and Rolando Romero’s next move would lead to him being upgraded to Romero’s status as full champion.
Giyasov, of Uzbekistan, is regardless a decorated Olympian. At 32 years old he is also at his physical peak and, as he demonstrated in April 2025 when defeating Franco Ocampo weeks after his infant daughter’s death, psychologically particularly strong.
“God forbid, I can’t imagine ever having to go through a fight with that on your mind,” Smith said. “I remember fighters in the past losing parents and going in and fighting and that must have been tough enough but to lose a child, it’s unbearable. I don’t know how he got in and got his mind on anything else, so hats off to him for what he’s been through.
“He’s a really good fighter. He’s an Olympic silver medallist. He’s an unbeaten pro. You’ve got to give him the respect he deserves, but he’s never been in with anyone of Jack’s level and it’s a massive step up for him, and it’s one where Jack’s got all the big-fight experience to go in there and be a big favourite.
“His all-round ability – he’s very technical. He’s a good fighter. The better technical boxers will do well in the Olympics. [But] I’m expecting Jack to look really good in becoming world champion.”
It will perhaps help their chances that the experienced Russ Anber has been contributing in their gym in Liverpool, England en route to again working with Usyk. Smith has also worked as the assistant trainer to Buddy McGirt in the corner of his younger brother Callum Smith; there exists an experienced brains’ trust that he can lean on, which extends back to when the Smiths trained under Joe Gallagher when Stephen was in his fighting prime.
“I’ve been round Russ a long time – he’s helped with meself and me brother’s fights in the past, and [is] doing the hands and cuts for Jack this time, so it’s been good to have him over the end of camp,” Smith said. “His experience around the gym – he’s a good person to be round. He’s good for the gym; good for the setup, and it’s good to have an extra eye around the place. He knows what we’re doing and how it’s going and he’ll always give his input. He’s always good to have on board.”
Smith had been helping his brother Callum to prepare for a date with David Morrell, until injury ruled Callum out. In his absence Zak Chelli stopped Morrell in what may prove the upset of 2026; victory for Callum Smith may have proven a boost for Catterall and Edwards in the process of Stephen Smith gaining further experience in the ruthless environment of world-level boxing; his time there with Chantelle Cameron ended, incidentally, after one fight when she returned to none other than Jamie Moore.
“If Zak Chelli’s landed on him at will like that and taken him out then he’s lucky, in my opinion, it wasn’t Callum, because Callum’s a very, very good puncher,” Smith said. “Callum’s gutted himself watching it, knowing, but with his injury he’d never have been able to be in the ring. He’s still in a good position and he’ll still get his opportunity going forward – it’s just a case of, regarding Morrell, I don’t know where that leaves him. It’s the risk you take when you’re in the mandatory position. But knowing Callum as well as I know him, he won’t care.
“What means something to him is becoming a two-weight world champion, not Dave Morrell, so he won’t lose a wink of sleep over that. Callum’s got his sights set on the title. If he gives up boxing a two-weight champion he’ll be happy with that; Dave Morrell won’t mean nothing to him.”
Of Cameron, who as recently as April under Moore defeated Michaela Kotaskova to win the WBO junior-welterweight title after beating Jessica Camara under Smith, he said: “I linked up with her for the fight over in Madison Square Garden. Enjoyed the build-up; everything was good; she worked really hard, and I was very, very proud of the performance over there. She [also] showed great mental strength getting a dominant win; I’m very proud of her.
“She come back and decided she wanted to go back to Jamie and Nigel [Travis] and said they know her inside out. She made the move; I wished her all the best going forward. I enjoyed me time working with her. I’ve always said I’d rather a fighter leave than regret staying. You only get one career. I’ll get 100 fighters; she gets one career. I’d much rather she made that phone call, as much as I wasn’t happy about it. I’m happy for her and wish her all the best going forward.
“If it was like Ste Clarke and I’d had her from the start and seen Ste in the corner with someone else I’d be like ‘Woah’. It’d be really strange – the kid turned pro with me. If I’d seen him with anyone else it probably would hurt me a bit. But I just had one fight with the girl and it was really good memories for me – it was Madison Square Garden so it’s something I’ll always look back on fondly.”
