Jack Has Officially Vacated

[Taansend]

So it looks like purse bids for Smith v Dirrell.

Which Eddie should win so a fight in Liverpool in May?

[chad]

Is Dirrell with Haymon. If so not so confident Eddie will win the purse bid. If Smith has to go to the States I'd go for Dirrell on points. I think Smith is a good young talent but I've seen him labour at times in fights over the past 18 months when he should have been easily in control.

Dirrell is so much more experienced and could be too slippery for Smith to pin down.

Tough fight. Feel Smith would need home advantage to pick up the win.

[gilgamesh]

Is Dirrell with Haymon. If so not so confident Eddie will win the purse bid. If Smith has to go to the States I'd go for Dirrell on points. I think Smith is a good young talent but I've seen him labour at times in fights over the past 18 months when he should have been easily in control.

Dirrell is so much more experienced and could be too slippery for Smith to pin down.

Tough fight. Feel Smith would need home advantage to pick up the win.

I'd favor Callum Smith regardless of where the fight takes place.

[ElJefe]

Is Haymon still putting up big money for these fights? I remember he paid a lot to put on Andre Dirrell vs DeGale in the States. If he wants it over there you'd imagine he'll get it. Fingers crossed Eddie can get it here though, wouldn't mind going.

[wesshaw1985]

On eddies proposed april 22nd show from liverpool?

Co-main to a degale groves unification on PPV in the summer?

Dirrell takes this on points for me...

[wesshaw1985]

Is Dirrell with Haymon. If so not so confident Eddie will win the purse bid. If Smith has to go to the States I'd go for Dirrell on points. I think Smith is a good young talent but I've seen him labour at times in fights over the past 18 months when he should have been easily in control.

Dirrell is so much more experienced and could be too slippery for Smith to pin down.

Tough fight. Feel Smith would need home advantage to pick up the win.

I'd favor Callum Smith regardless of where the fight takes place.

How do you draw that conclusion?

[gilgamesh]

I think he's better than Dirrell.

[wesshaw1985]

I think he's better than Dirrell.

Just wondering where your confidence in Smith comes from? Blackledge? Reynoso?

[gilgamesh]

I think he's better than Dirrell.

Just wondering where your confidence in Smith comes from? Blackledge? Reynoso?

It's not so much a major confidence in Smith as much as it's I don't think too much of Dirrell. Smith just looks like a talented enough fighter that I think he'd be able to outbox Dirrell. I could be wrong, it's certainly the biggest step up he's faced, but I just think Smith has the goods.

Sometimes you just got a feeling ya know. Gervonta Davis had never faced anyone in the league of Jose Pedraza before this weekend, but I had a feeling he'd beat Pedraza, and I turned out to be right.

[wesshaw1985]

I think he's better than Dirrell.

Just wondering where your confidence in Smith comes from? Blackledge? Reynoso?

It's not so much a major confidence in Smith as much as it's I don't think too much of Dirrell. Smith just looks like a talented enough fighter that I think he'd be able to outbox Dirrell. I could be wrong, it's certainly the biggest step up he's faced, but I just think Smith has the goods.

Sometimes you just got a feeling ya know. Gervonta Davis had never faced anyone in the league of Jose Pedraza before this weekend, but I had a feeling he'd beat Pedraza, and I turned out to be right.

Dirrell isnt to be written off, hes been in with the higher calibre opponents.
Hes been the distance with Jack and Bika (x2). Smiths resume doesnt come close.
Eddie and Joe simply havent prepared him for the next level...

[gilgamesh]

Just wondering where your confidence in Smith comes from? Blackledge? Reynoso?

It's not so much a major confidence in Smith as much as it's I don't think too much of Dirrell. Smith just looks like a talented enough fighter that I think he'd be able to outbox Dirrell. I could be wrong, it's certainly the biggest step up he's faced, but I just think Smith has the goods.

Sometimes you just got a feeling ya know. Gervonta Davis had never faced anyone in the league of Jose Pedraza before this weekend, but I had a feeling he'd beat Pedraza, and I turned out to be right.

Dirrell isnt to be written off, hes been in with the higher calibre opponents.
Hes been the distance with Jack and Bika (x2). Smiths resume doesnt come close.
Eddie and Joe simply havent prepared him for the next level...

I agree his resume doesn't come close. Sometimes that's not the deciding factor in who wins a fight. I think Smith is a better talent than Dirrell, maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'll be picking Smith to win.

[wesshaw1985]

It's not so much a major confidence in Smith as much as it's I don't think too much of Dirrell. Smith just looks like a talented enough fighter that I think he'd be able to outbox Dirrell. I could be wrong, it's certainly the biggest step up he's faced, but I just think Smith has the goods.

Sometimes you just got a feeling ya know. Gervonta Davis had never faced anyone in the league of Jose Pedraza before this weekend, but I had a feeling he'd beat Pedraza, and I turned out to be right.

Dirrell isnt to be written off, hes been in with the higher calibre opponents.
Hes been the distance with Jack and Bika (x2). Smiths resume doesnt come close.
Eddie and Joe simply havent prepared him for the next level...

I agree his resume doesn't come close. Sometimes that's not the deciding factor in who wins a fight. I think Smith is a better talent than Dirrell, maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'll be picking Smith to win.

Not sure how you can judge somebody's talent from fighting low calibre opponents but hey your entitled to your opinion my friend, not sure its worth a carrot mind...

[gilgamesh]

Some guys just pass the eye test. You can tell that some guys got the goods and some guys don't sometimes ya know. Breidis Prescott is hardly a world beater, but when Terence Crawford fought him I knew Crawford was a future P4P #1 type talent, and seeing as how he's gone on to universal P4P Top 10 status and has earned Fighter of the Year honors once since I had that feeling about him I'd say my gut feelings on fighters can be pretty accurate sometimes.

I've seen enough Boxing to be able to tell when somebody is operating with a high skill level or not.

The things you don't know about guys who haven't faced tough competition is...

How do they handle adversity?
How do they take a punch?
How do they respond when taken deep into a fight?

Those questions still remain to be seen about Callum, but whether or not he has the skills to handle himself isn't in doubt to me.

[Taansend]

Just because Dirrell is better than anyone Smith doesn't mean Smith will lose.

Hatton hadn't fought anyone even 10% of Tszyu nor Honeyghan v Curry.

Both of those bigger gaps than Smith Dirrell

[wesshaw1985]

Just because Dirrell is better than anyone Smith doesn't mean Smith will lose.

Hatton hadn't fought anyone even 10% of Tszyu nor Honeyghan v Curry.

Both of those bigger gaps than Smith Dirrell

Its not that Dirrell is better than anyone Smith has faced its that his opposition has been leagues above. Hes mixed in much better company.
Nobody said Smith will lose but he has to go into the fight as the underdog due to his lack of high level opponents...

[Taansend]

Just because Dirrell is better than anyone Smith doesn't mean Smith will lose.

Hatton hadn't fought anyone even 10% of Tszyu nor Honeyghan v Curry.

Both of those bigger gaps than Smith Dirrell

Its not that Dirrell is better than anyone Smith has faced its that his opposition has been leagues above. Hes mixed in much better company.
Nobody said Smith will lose but he has to go into the fight as the underdog due to his lack of high level opponents...

I agree he's an underdog but not a huge one.

I watched Dirrell beat up a fat Hungarian kid the other day. He wasn't impressive at all

[Deserter]

I have to be honest and say I don't quite understand the hype around Smith. He's clearly got some power, but on the occasions I've watched him he seems to be very upright with marginal head movement - exactly the sort of style that serves you just fine up to European level, but leaves you wanting at the highest level. I'd take Dirrell to outbox him pretty comfortably based on what I've seen to date and think Degale would have an easy night's work as well.

[Tarkus]

Dirrell is not a higher level though. I mean, providing we are talking about Anthony and not Andre. He himself is a limited skilled but physically tough boxer. This is not a slick, Andre type American. Callum should have enough to beat up this guy.

[forcefraser]

Smith's best win is Rebrasse, followed by Rocky from Stocky. It's not world level.

Stephen Smith was beaten every time he stepped up to world level and I think the same will happen with Callum. Yes he looks the part, but who has he beaten?

The old saying "it's about levels" runs true.

[samwbr]

Dirrell will not want to come over to the UK, he'll be in Haymons ear to win the purse bid if it happens.

[handsofstone]

Sylistically I think this is a great match up, Smith has been known to go through the motions a little and become a bit methodical but I think Dirrell brings out the best in him, Anthony has the experience and I'm always impressed with him but the Jack and 1st Bika fight has to give Callum some hope

[whiskey]

Anthony Dirrell is absolutely tailor made for Callum Smith.

I see Smith stopping him, who is a lot faster and technical than the tough but very crude Bika.

[davie]

Anthony Dirrell is absolutely tailor made for Callum Smith.

I see Smith stopping him, who is a lot faster and technical than the tough but very crude Bika.

Wait until you see Tesco Joe's masterplan though....

[wesshaw1985]

Just because Dirrell is better than anyone Smith doesn't mean Smith will lose.

Hatton hadn't fought anyone even 10% of Tszyu nor Honeyghan v Curry.

Both of those bigger gaps than Smith Dirrell

Its not that Dirrell is better than anyone Smith has faced its that his opposition has been leagues above. Hes mixed in much better company.
Nobody said Smith will lose but he has to go into the fight as the underdog due to his lack of high level opponents...

I agree he's an underdog but not a huge one.

I watched Dirrell beat up a fat Hungarian kid the other day. He wasn't impressive at all

Thats the same "fat hungatian kid" that smith last laboured against...

Dirrell is not a higher level though. I mean, providing we are talking about Anthony and not Andre. He himself is a limited skilled but physically tough boxer. This is not a slick, Andre type American. Callum should have enough to beat up this guy.

Dirrell is a higher level because has mixed it at a higher level and done the rounds at a higher level.
Going the distance with Rebrasse isnt the same as going the distance with Bika x2 and especially Jack.
Today, Dirrell is a level above.
Can Smith step up? His stablemates have all come up short under Gallaghers tutelage when making the jump. I see Smith likely going the same way...

[Josh1111]

Anthony Dirrell is absolutely tailor made for Callum Smith.

I see Smith stopping him, who is a lot faster and technical than the tough but very crude Bika.

Wait until you see Tesco Joe's masterplan though....

Throw no punches for 6 rounds then go all out?