By Elliot Foster
Callum Smith is eager to start the latest chapter of his career with a bang.
The WBA Super world super-middleweight champion will return to the ring on Saturday night in New York.
Smith, who has been out since last September’s World Boxing Super Series tournament victory over George Groves in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, defends his title -- as well as the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine belts -- at Madison Square Garden.
‘Mundo’ takes on a former sparring partner in the shape of French-based Cameroonian Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN Stateside, as part of the supporting cast to Anthony Joshua’s defence of the WBA Super, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles against Andy Ruiz Jr.
And Smith, 29, is hoping a big win in his first defence will pave the way for massive fights in the future.
“This is a new chapter of my career,” he said. “I feel good, I feel excited. Everything previously was the journey to becoming a world champion and now I've achieved that, let's see what more I can achieve.
“To add my name to a lot of the Brits that have boxed here over the years is going to be special for myself. There's no better place to start my campaign as a world champion than Madison Square Garden. It's such an iconic fight venue with a lot of history.”
Smith, in fighting at Madison Square Garden, will join an illustrious list of fighters from the UK to have graced the ring at the Mecca of Boxing, including the likes of former foe Rocky Fielding and former unified world champion Amir Khan.
“I've been out a little longer than I would have liked to be but I want to make up for the lost time. I want to get back and remind people how good I am.
"There is the talk of massive names to fight in the future but to secure those fights, I've got to win this weekend.”
A revenge mission is one that boxing likes and high on the priority list of Smith is a fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Alvarez beat Callum’s brother Liam back in September 2017 to clinch the WBO super-welterweight title and even stepped up to super-middleweight last December to take the WBA ‘regular’ title from the aforementioned Fielding at the same venue where Smith makes his return.
And fights of that magnitude motivate the former amateur starlet to do a massive job on N’Dam.
“Big fights excite me and motivate me,” he added. “I want to maximise my potential and achieve as much as I can. All of that starts on Saturday.
“I'm excited and I'm looking forward to putting in a big performance.”