Callum Smith blames his loss to unified lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev on him being out of the ring for 17 months and not having any sparring for 5-6 weeks in camp for their showdown on January 13th.
The repercussions of Beterbiev's loss
In that fight, things went wrong for Smith (30-2, 22 KOs). He was blasted in seven rounds by Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and made to look like an average fighter.
Callum bounced back from that loss, knocking out little-known Colombian man Carlos Galván (20-15-2, 19 KO) in the fifth round on November 30 last year.
Next up for Smith, 34, is interim WBO heavyweight champion Joshua Buatsi on February 22 in his Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol II bout in Riyadh. If Callum can win this fight against unbeaten Buatsi (19-0, 13 KO), he will be able to secure a title final against the winner of the Beterbiev-Bivol 2 rematch.
A few boxing fans believe Smith will defeat 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Buatsi. Buatsi can punch, has a strong chin, and is aggressive. In his last fight, he went through pure hell, defeating Willie Hutchinson via a 12-round split decision on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Hutchinson was not known for being a bit of a striking player, hurting Buatsi several times in the fight by simply staying in the fight and constantly shooting him. However, there were times when it seemed that Buatsi was about to be overthrown. The blows that Joshua Hutchinson took in that fight would probably have been too much for Callum, and he would have certainly collapsed.
No more excuses
“I hate fighters who make excuses, but I had 17 months out of the ring and after that, you think I'd get a lot of sparring, but I didn't. I hadn't been in any sparring for five or six weeks before that,” Callum Smith told Sky. Sports Boxing on why he lost to unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev last year on January 13: “I didn’t prepare well.”
“So the preparation wasn't ideal. I had been out of the ring for 17 months. I really couldn't afford to put him off again and keep him out of the ring for two years. That was the challenge. He had the belts, he was the champion. You live and you learn.”
“I thought I was going to get it right on the night and I didn't. I lost the battle and I paid the price. I came away and took stock of what went wrong. I think I“I got it right, I got better and I became a better fighter because of it,” Smith said.
It sure seems like Callum is making excuses for his loss. Well, I think he has to say something to try to understand what happened to him in his shock loss to Beterbiev. It's called “ego protection.”
“I didn't participate in any sparring for five or six weeks beforehand” 🗣️
Callum Smith talks about his defeat to Artur Beterbiev. pic.twitter.com/4j3CdyWOd7
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) January 14, 2025
