Callum Smith obviously believes he is the best super middleweight in boxing.
He finds it difficult to determine who’s number two among the 168-pound division’s four world champions because they’re such different fighters. England’s Smith, the WBA champion, thus would be open to facing fellow Brit Billy Joe Saunders (WBO) or Americans David Benavidez (WBC) and Caleb Plant (IBF).
Smith acknowledged during an Instagram Live interview Friday with promoter Eddie Hearn, however, that a domestic showdown with Saunders is appealing to him from a business standpoint.
Canelo Alvarez chose Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) over Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) as his next opponent, but their fight has been postponed indefinitely. If the length of the COVID-19 pandemic causes Alvarez to fight Gennadiy Golovkin a third time instead, Smith would embrace boxing the left-handed Saunders next.
“Any, whatever one can be made,” Smith told Hearn in reference to super middleweight championship unification fights. “They’re all probably as good as each other. They’re all good fights and they’re all world champions. [Saunders] is probably the biggest fight domestically.”
Saunders, like Smith, is promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Business aside, Smith thinks battling Benavidez would be the most fan-friendly fight of those three options.
“I think that’s an exciting fight,” Smith said. “[We’re] two big ones for the weight. I think it’d be a good fight to watch. That’s probably the best one to watch, stylistically.”
Saunders’ style could pose problems for the taller Smith because the undefeated southpaw is so smart and skilled. Smith also is impressed by Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) and Plant (20-0, 12 KOs).
“It’s hard to split the other champions,” Smith said. “I think they’re all unbeaten and they’re all very different, stylistically. I think, you know, obviously Billy Joe is talented, a slick mover, not the biggest for the weight, but he’s skillful. Plant is a good mover, with good boxing ability, I don’t think the biggest puncher. Where Benavidez probably doesn’t have the boxing ability of the other two, but he’s the biggest puncher out of them and probably the most prideful. So, a fight with either of them are all tough fights, but all tough fights in completely different ways, stylistically very different. But three very good fighters and fighters I’d love to fight whether it’s 2020 or 2021.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.