By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten WBA Super World Middleweight Champion Callum Smith of Liverpool England will attempt to defend his title for the third time when he meets Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico this Saturday, Dec. 19th. The 12-round bout from San Antonio, Texas is also for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight Title and can be seen in North America and the UK live on DAZN. Alvarez’s regular WBA Super Middleweight Belt is supposedly on the line as well. Smith last fought in November, 2019 when he beat John Ryder by controversial unanimous decision while Alvarez last saw action November as well when he stopped Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round for the WBO Light Heavyweight Title. Smith originally won his belt by stopping George Groves in the seventh round of the World Boxing Super Series Final in September 2018.
The 30-year-old Smith has a perfect record of 27-0 with 19 Ko’s. He’s 6-feet-3-inches tall with a 78-inch reach so is pretty big for the 168 lb division and will have a seven-inch height and 7.5-inch reach advantage on Alvarez. Smith enjoyed a fine amateur career and was once the British Super Welterweight Champion as an amateur. Since turning pro in 2012 he’s fought 134 rounds but other than Groves and perhaps Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, he hasn’t really taken on anybody who resembles a Grade A boxer.
Smith has also beaten the likes of Nieky Holzken, Erik Skoglund, Luke Blackledge, Norbert Nemesapati, Cesar Hernan Reynoso, Rocky Fielding and Christopher Rebrasse etc. He’s displayed pretty good power up to now with a current knockout ratio of 70.4 per cent but his lack of quality opponents may slightly hurt his chances against upper echelon opponents such as Alvarez. He’s definitely got size on his side though and if he uses it to his advantage he may have some success. Smith has also been an English, British, European, WBC International and WBC Silver Champion since turning pro.
Alvarez lifted Gennady Golovkin’s WBC and WBA ‘Super’ World Middleweight Titles in September, 2018 in a rematch but took quite a bit of punishment in doing so. His first fight against Triple G, which ended in a highly-controversial draw was no walk in the park either. Like Smith, Alvarez is now 30 years old and owns an excellent record of 53-1-2 with 36 Kos. His only loss was a majority decision to Floyd Mayweather in September of 2013 while his other draw was a four-round affair against Jorge Juarez back in 2006.
Alvarez stands just 5-feet-9-inches tall with a 70.5 inch reach. He has a wealth of experience for his age since he turned pro when he was just 15 years old in 2005 and has 402 rounds under his belt since then. He’s taken on and beaten some tough opponents over the years such as Kovalev, Daniel Jacobs, Golovkin, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara, Shane Mosley, Josesito Lopez, Kermit Cintron, Carlos Baldomir, and Alfredo Angulo.
He’s held world titles in the jr. middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions as well as minor belts as a welterweight. Alvarez has above-average power and enters the fight with a current knockout ratio of 64.3 per cent with a granite chin and quick hands but has gone the distance in four of his last six fights. Also, Golovkin, Mayweather and Khan to some degree, showed Canelo can be outboxed as he has difficulty handling a quick, stiff jab. Even so, Alvarez is a good boxer-puncher who likes to go to the body but has a bit of difficulty with boxers who are mobile.
Prediction…
Smith is hoping to avenge his brother Liam Smith’s defeat at the hands of Alvarez as Canelo stopped him in the ninth round back in 2016. Smith has the height, reach and power to give Alvarez all sorts of problems but he needs to utilize them properly as well as employ the right game plan and display a solid chin. He needs to hit and hurt the smaller Alvarez early and often to test his chin and make him think twice about attacking. Alvarez has arguably lost more than one fight as a pro and he’s generously labeled the best pound-for-pound boxer by many. Still, I just don’t think Smith is the man to hand him another defeat.
This won’t be easy, but I’m expecting Alvarez to emerge with a win.
