With Callum Smith outclassed by Canelo, where does he go from here?

The newly defeated Callum Smith, now an ex-world champion. The pull for him to be in the biggest fights may have diminished somewhat. Yet, there are still options for Smith and in the grand scheme of things - it is one loss. Smith can and I believe will come again. With a strong character and team around him, it is more than likely he will bounce back.

The most obvious, stand out fight which doesn’t require a world title is the rematch against John Ryder. This fight allows Smith to get back to the UK and would easily sell out the MEN or Echo arena. For Smith, even with the win on his record against Ryder, a lot of people felt Ryder deserved the decision. Smith would surely want to erase this slight blemish against him. The first fight was an enjoyable watch and with both needing a big, meaningful fight, it makes all the sense in the world to get the rematch made.

Another opponent worth a mention and that would certainly be huge for the UK would be a big, domestic showdown with Billy Joe Saunders. As mentioned earlier, Billy Joe is desperate for a massive title fight. This would only be a defence of his title but in terms of size, would be one of the biggest out there for both fighters. Billy Joe Saunders has waited a long time for the Canelo fight, which in fact was made until COVID struck. Billy Joe cannot afford to wait around for Canelo if it is unlikely to happen. The other question is will he want to risk the bargaining chip that he possesses in the WBO super-middleweight title. You have to feel losing that title would substantially reduce Billy Joe’s pulling power on the global landscape. Having said that, it would be a huge, domestic fight and a win for Billy Joe would greatly improve his underwhelming record.

The final option and a pretty unlikely opponent for Smith would be Danny Jacobs. Now please, lower your eyebrows and relax. This is very much an outside shout. Yet, there are several linking factors between the two. Both fighters have fallen victim to decision losses? against? Canelo Alvarez. They are both signed under the same promotional company, Matchroom Boxing. This would allow for the fight to easily be made, either Stateside or in the UK. They are both in need of a big name win on their record, and both provide that for each other. Jacobs more so as he seems unable to get a big fight, and is slowly slipping down the rankings and out of our thoughts when considering the 168-pound division. This fight would also give Callum Smith that significant victory to get himself back to winning ways and solidified in the top 5 of the super-middleweight rankings.