Callum Smith takes on Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at the weekend and the pair faced off ahead of super-middleweight bout.
The skyscraper in the background seemed symbolic as Callum Smith and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez squared up on the roof of the Texas building for Matchroom’s promotional face-off.
‘Mundo’ towered over his Mexican opponent.
Actually they couldn’t do an actual “face-off”, because five feet seven and a half inch ‘Canelo’s’ face only came up to six feet three inch Smith’s chest.
And it is the huge size and likely weight disparity at fight time which makes Smith’s world super-middleweight title defence such an intriguing match up.
Yes Canelo has boxed once at light heavy.
Yes he has only ever been beaten once in a storied career – and that by Floyd Mayweather.
And yes he is considered possibly the greatest pound for pound fighter currently on the planet.
But so, too, is Vasily Lomachenko – who lost to the naturally bigger Teofimo Lopez in October.
Canelo is a natural middleweight. Smith is huge for the 12 stone division – and he is aiming to make that advantage count at the Alamodome on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
“He is a superstar and you could probably say he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” said Smith.
“But in my view, he is a middleweight (160lbs). The saying ‘ a good big ‘un beats a good little ‘un ‘ is sometimes true. Sometimes all the ability in the world can’t make up for a disadvantage you have in natural size. I believe that will play a part. I am big but have ability to go with it.”
That is not an idle boast.
Smith, 30, is unbeaten in 27 contests – and underwhelming displays against John Ryder last time out and Nieky Holzken in the semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series event simply underline that Smith seems to raise his game depending on the quality of the opponent he is in with.
Like he did with George Groves – a seventh round stoppage, Christoper Rebrasse – a 12-round masterclass, and Rocky Fielding – a stunning first round KO.
This will be the greatest quality of opponent he has ever faced.
“I want to test myself and find out how good I am,” he added. “Canelo has proven to be one of the elite. I have proven I am world class. Can I move up and live with the elite? I believe I can and that this will fight will show that.
“They don’t come much bigger than this. The win is everything. In terms of the popularity, it will come with it but in terms of my lifestyle, it won’t change me.
“When it gets really hard in training, you need a reason why you dig in and to go to a place you don’t maybe need to go to.
“Now you know if you don’t go there you’ll lose – Alvarez will beat you. You need that fear factor. I have always felt that where I have to step up, I have always performed. I believe this will be no different.”
Saturday night will prove that one way or the other…
Source: Liverpool Eco