Former world super middleweight champion, Liverpool’s Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs at the time of the original article’s publication), had expressed openness to considering a fight with unbeaten domestic rival Joshua Buatsi (16-0, 13 KOs at the time) ahead of his scheduled title shot. Speaking to IFL TV in late 2022, Smith stated he was willing to entertain an offer for a bout with Buatsi before his guaranteed world title fight. This potential clash generated significant buzz, pitting two of Britain’s top light heavyweight contenders against each other, though its timing and eventual outcome would unfold over the subsequent years.
Callum Smith’s Mandatory Position and the Beterbiev-Yarde Showdown
At the time of the original report, Smith was the WBC’s mandatory challenger at light heavyweight (175 lbs) and was next in line to face the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs Anthony Yarde, which was slated to take place on January 28, 2023, at Wembley, with no exceptions. This highly anticipated unification bout saw the undefeated, unified IBF, WBC, and WBO light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) defend his titles against London’s Anthony Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs).
The fight between Beterbiev and Yarde proved to be a thrilling and brutal contest. Yarde, fighting in his hometown, put forth a valiant effort, landing significant shots and even appearing to trouble the champion at various points. However, Beterbiev’s relentless pressure and formidable power ultimately wore Yarde down. In the eighth round, Beterbiev landed a series of punishing blows, dropping Yarde. Although Yarde bravely beat the count, his corner, recognizing the severe punishment he had absorbed, wisely stepped in to halt the contest, awarding Beterbiev an eighth-round technical knockout victory. With this win, Beterbiev maintained his perfect knockout record and his unified world titles.
Following Beterbiev’s victory, Smith’s mandatory shot against the formidable champion was confirmed. The fight was initially scheduled for August 2023 but was postponed after Beterbiev suffered a bone infection in his jaw requiring surgery. The rescheduled clash between Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith eventually took place on January 13, 2024, in Quebec City, Canada. In a dominant performance, Beterbiev (then 19-0, 19 KOs) overwhelmed Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), dropping him twice in the seventh round before Smith’s trainer, Buddy McGirt, stepped onto the apron to stop the fight, resulting in a seventh-round TKO victory for Beterbiev. This marked the first stoppage loss of Smith’s professional career.
Buatsi’s Previous Comments and Smith’s Willingness: The Eventual Showdown
Previously, Buatsi had told the media that their shared promoter, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, had proposed a fight between them. While representatives from Smith’s management team, STN Sports, initially suggested that a Smith vs Buatsi fight was unlikely due to Smith’s mandatory status, Smith had confirmed his openness to risking his title shot in a high-profile domestic showdown. “I want a fight before facing the Beterbiev-Yarde winner. If Buatsi’s team wants to make me an offer, it’s something I’ll consider. But as of now, I haven’t received any offers. I want to fight in March and then roll into the world title,” said Smith.
Smith’s planned return in March 2023, ahead of his anticipated title clash, was also confirmed to IFL TV, with Hearn further confirming via Twitter that Matchroom was staging a show in Liverpool on March 11, expected to be Smith’s next fight date. However, this interim fight did not materialize, as Smith’s next bout after his August 2022 victory over Mathieu Bauderlique was directly against Artur Beterbiev in January 2024.
Despite the initial uncertainty, the highly anticipated domestic clash between Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi eventually came to fruition, albeit after Smith’s world title challenge. The two British light heavyweights finally met on February 22, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a card billed as “The Card of the Century”. In a gruelling, toe-to-toe battle that lived up to expectations, Callum Smith (30-2, 22 KOs at the time) inflicted the first professional defeat on Joshua Buatsi (19-0, 13 KOs at the time). Smith secured a unanimous decision victory with scores of 115-113, 116-112, and a wider 119-110, claiming the WBO interim light-heavyweight title. Smith’s power shots were a decisive factor in the hard-fought contest.
Implications for the Light Heavyweight Division and Recent Developments
The light heavyweight division has seen significant shifts since the original article. While Smith pursued his mandatory shot, Joshua Buatsi continued to build his impressive record. After the original article’s publication, Buatsi secured unanimous decision victories over Pawel Stepian on May 7, 2023, and Dan Azeez on February 3, 2024, the latter earning him the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles. He then captured the WBO interim light-heavyweight title with a split decision win over Willy Hutchinson on September 21, 2024.
The speculation regarding a potential fight between Buatsi and WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, mentioned in the original article, did not materialize as initially discussed. Instead, the light heavyweight landscape was dramatically altered on February 22, 2025, when Dmitry Bivol (then 24-1, 12 KOs) defeated Artur Beterbiev (then 20-0, 20 KOs) by majority decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion. This historic bout saw Bivol hand Beterbiev his first professional loss and end his perfect knockout streak.
Following his victory over Buatsi, Callum Smith was ordered by
