Callum Smith Reputation

He did well tonight. Didn't totally crumble like I thought he would. I'd say tune up and then Yarde.

 

Yarde will beat him.

 

He kinda lost me with his performance against Canelo.

 

He’s made a ton of money. Apparently took over £5m in the WBSS alone plus the Canelo payday. He’s set for life.

Go out now he’s only lost to Canelo and Beterbiev. Nothing in the Yarde fight for him when he doesn’t need the payday.

although I would love to see it

 

He is who he was before the fight; a guy who turtles up in the face of pressure and you can do almost anything you want to, provided you have enough pop in your punches to convince him to keep his hands at home.

 

I'd say he needs a new trainer, not a fool a has him exchange at close range with a KO-puncher with shorter arms and faster hands. He was out-jabbed by a 5'11 guy tonight also. What's the point of being that size if you don't even try to keep range on such a shorter opponent. Why is his trainer trying to tell him to double-up bodyshots when he should be trying to keep Beterbiev out of range.

And even worse, he already had serious trouble with two other shorter close-range fighters in gorilla and canelo and they basically don't change anything when fighting the more dangerous version who is destroying everyone?

Is this the most stupid gameplan of all time? Slug it out with your gangly arms at close range with Beterbiev?

In fact, worse STILL, the same thing happened with Joe Smith, where he was beaten to the punch up close by the shorter-armed Beterbiev while exchanging.

If Smith fights like this and lets the shorter opponents just walk in and unload combinations and doesn't tie them up either, then I think yarde has a good chance of winning unfortunately.

But having said all that, probably too late to change now, he's basically near retirement age.

 

That wasn’t a bad game-plan actually, Smith hit Beterbiev with a body shot and got his attention. That’s what initially slowed down Beterbiev in the 6th round I believe. Smith doesn’t have the Ring IQ or intelligence to recognize that Beterbiev wasn’t necessarily hurt but he was temporarily immobilized. I think that’s why Beterbiev started picking up the pace and started applying pressure. Beterbiev has a good poker face and he doesn’t show when something affects him, but I’ve notice his body language changes, when he’s hit with something. Yarde and Gvodyk are the only boxers, I’ve seen make Beterbiev get on his bicycle. Callum Smith doesn’t have the amateur pedigree or experience to pick up on subtle nuances and changes in body language. I think somebody who’s fast and explosive enough to get to Beterbiev’s body and be able to get out range quick enough, can beat him.

 

Agreed, but he's always fought this way which is why I also saw him vs Canelo as a mismatch. He simply has never learned to fight in a way to utilise his natural gifts and never had a trainer who was able to correct those flaws and yes it's too late now and I too favour Yarde to beat him simply because he'll end up fighting his usual style and that will play into Yarde's power and style.

 

Callum Smith, though he fought bravely, looked very ordinary this time. He looked very ordinary against Canelo too. He doesn't have the skills and strength to use his huge height advantage. Callum Smith is an ordinary fighter - plain and simple. He'd never be able to beat the best fighters in any division

 

Why do you guys think Cotto performed so much better against prime Canelo, despite being at the end of his (full of hard fights) career, being shorter 8 or 9'' than Callum Smith and like 5 divisions smaller. Because Cotto is true world class, and Smith isn't. Cotto is few classes above Smith in terms of skills and ring IQ. Simple as that

 

Not to split hairs but I would say that Smith is an ordinary fighter in the sense that he is just a very good fighter which isn't enough to beat a true world class fighter like Beterbiev.

 

he is who he is. a stiff 1-2 merchant with concrete feet and a massive height and reach advantage. he can only throw with good technique when he is in absolutely in the perfect postitiion to do so. his rep has been massively inflated by beating a version of George Groves whose shoulder was held together by sticky tape

Buddy got him moving his head a little, which is why he could last over 6 rounds with Beterbiev, but fundamentally he’s a Euro level fighter who got lucky with favourable opportunities (shot Groves, Braehmer pulling out of the WBSS and being replaced by a kickboxer, Ryder robbery)

 

I thought buddy would have improved his feet and lateral movement like he did Gatti and Kovalev(who boxed much more under Buddy) but Callums feet seem to truly be cement.