Callum Smith 'confident' he can become two-weight world champion after emphatic return to the ring

Callum Smith made an emphatic return to the ring and then immediately set his sights on becoming a world champion again next year. Smith was fighting for the first time since January, when he featured on the undercard of Galal Yafai’s stoppage victory over Sunny Edwards in Birmingham.

Fighting Carlos Galvan, Smith rocked the Colombian in the third round before forcing him to take a knee a round later after successive left-hooks to the head. So it was no surprise when 'Mundo' finished the job in the fifth. After already putting Galvan down, Smith landed another crunching left-hook to the body that ultimately resulted in the fight being waved off as the 33-year-old struggled to get up off the canvas.

“Everyone wants a quick one-round job; the shorter the better, but in hindsight, a good few rounds and I still got a knockout, which is always good,” Smith said.

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“I talked at the press conference the other day about inactivity; I need fights; I haven’t fought for 11 months and 17 months before that, it is not good for my career.

“I am actually not that fit, to be honest with you, but there are whispers of a few fights coming in early in the new year. They are fights I want and like.

“I didn’t want to be a hypocrite and go into one of those fights after 12 months out of the ring and moan that inactivity had affected my performance, so I asked the team if I could get out.

“I took a gamble and got out, and the ring rust is gone now. I am ready for whoever is in the division in 2025.”

Before he continued: “He seemed to be more dangerous once I dropped him. He kind of had a go.

“I had to not force it as the sharpness wasn’t quite there, and you could probably hear me loading up a little bit. I am still learning and still progressing.”

The former WBA and Ring super-middleweight world champion was fighting for the first time since his defeat to undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev earlier this year. It was suggested following the defeat to the Russian-Canadian that the 34-year-old might decide to call time on his boxing career.

But now, not content with just deciding to fight on, Smith has set his sights on becoming a world champion again, with a bout against Joshua Buatsi being spoken about.

“I believe in 2025 I will become a world champion again,” he declared. “I have been there before, and I know what it takes to get there.

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“I am fully confident that I have still got it to reach the top. I have always been motivated by achievements without being a world champion.

“When I turned professional, I chased the money as I always believed it would come. Once you become a world champion, the money comes with it.

“I have always been motivated by wanting to be the best, and losing to Beterbiev hurt as it showed that I wasn’t the best in the world, the fighter you believe you are.

“You need motivation to go to the gym, and my motivation was belts. That was taken away from me, and I didn’t really know what was going to get me to the gym.

“But they have started a few interim belts, and it is like they are preparing for the belts to be vacated and spread out again.

“It is a very good division, but I believe on my day I can beat anyone on the planet, given the right preparation. I believe I can beat anyone, and I believe I will prove that next year.”