Callum Smith can set Merseyside alight and overtake John Conteh as Liverpool’s greatest ever fighter
The youngest and most talented of the four Smith brothers has world beater written all over him
JOHN CONTEH is unrivalled as Liverpool’s greatest fighter since becoming world light-heavyweight champ more than 40 years ago.
But JC Superstar is liable to have a serious threat to his status over the next 12 months.
Callum Smith, the youngest and most talented of the four Smith brothers, can set Merseyside alight.
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From the moment I first set eyes on him when he turned pro five years ago, the unbeaten British and European super-middleweight champion had world-beater written all over him.
Callum, 26, has that key ingredient needed to get to the top — crushing power in both hands.
Having knocked out 17 of his 22 victims, it’s no surprise he is now mandatory challenger to the winner of the James DeGale-Badou Jack unification clash.
Callum will be ringside in Brooklyn a week tomorrow with trainer Joe Gallagher — and will hope DeGale can add the WBC crown to his IBF belt.
A showdown between Smith and DeGale would be a massive domestic attraction.
Paul, senior member of the Smith clan, told me years ago when his kid brother was a raw amateur that Callum would be the family’s finest — I doubt if he’s changed his mind.
Considering all the brothers won British titles, and Liam a world championship, that’s some praise.
When I started writing about boxing in 1963, Britain didn’t have a single world champion among the ten weight divisions.
Now there are 17 weight divisions, which means there are no less than 68 titles to fight for among the four world governing bodies.
Incredibly, Britain can boast 13 world champions in TEN of those divisions. That makes us the most successful boxing nation on earth.
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And fans can look forward to some exhilarating fights in 2017.
Between now and April 29, we have DeGale fighting Jack, Carl Frampton taking on Leo Santa Cruz, Tony Bellew’s clash with David Haye and Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko.
My major wish for 2017 is we end up with one world heavyweight champion — and there’s no reason why Joshua can’t unify the belts.
The domestic fight everyone wants is a Kell Brook and Amir Khan showdown — let’s hope they can make it happen.
But I have no wish to see any more childish antics from Bellew and Haye in the build-up to their March 4 date at London’s O2 Arena.
The British Boxing Board Of Control should make it clear to both of them that if there’s any more nonsense before the opening bell, the £25,000 fine they gave Dereck Chisora for his misbehaviour will look like chump change.