Dmitry Bivol vs. Callum Smith - WBO Ordered

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Very interesting fight this would be

[Stuarty]

Maybe they can meet in the middle?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Nightmare Roy]

He wants to steer clear of him IMO, bigger fights with less risk out there.

[J.Rotherhithe]

and will lose.

[samwbr]

I'd fancy Callum in this at this stage.

[jamamb]

I'd fancy Callum in this at this stage.

tell me how it goes

and how do we think bivol wouldve done vs gg

one thing ill say, despite the differences in the divisions, i dont think smith is really any smaller then most lhws. id think he could still be a physical prescene vs them

[samwbr]

I'd fancy Callum in this at this stage.

tell me how it goes

and how do we think bivol wouldve done vs gg

one thing ill say, despite the differences in the divisions, i dont think smith is really any smaller then most lhws. id think he could still be a physical prescene vs them

Right now Smith by TKO. Golovkin may have a struggle on physicality/youth. Bivol doesn't look that threatening as yet in the pro's, it may well come but today my money would be on Smith.

[jamamb]

cheers

meant groves btw , though even myself writing 'gg' thought golovkin for a second

i am excited about callums future, i hope hes matched ambitiously with more top guys like george , i think he can handle it, imo the best at smw. just seems a right nightmare to fight with that size, power, stamina, and those sharp hands with every punch, up and down. and ffs georgie can punch yet his shots pinged off callum.

callum super impressed me for a while but then seemed to stagnate when his matchmaking wasnt really progressing, but when the time came he delivered and showed how good he is. and that fielding wins looking better all the time. strikes me as a guy who brings the most out of him when hes matched tough. bring it on

[samwbr]

Plus he'll only get stronger at LHW you'd imagine.

[PredatorHayds]

I’m a huge fan of Bivol.
I’d favour him to stop Callum Smith.

He’s got a very high ring IQ he is very subtle but he’s got excellent footwork that always puts his opponents under pressure.

I think he’d break Callum down and stop him late.

[jamamb]

outclassing then knocking out barrera was a nice performance

[skanksta]

Being in the ring with Bivol is like being in Dexter's kill room

The way he languishes around the ring, lovingly showing the victim the sharpness of the scalpel... It's scary stuff

[Oiky]

Bivol would beat smith imo

[DrDuke]

I favour Bivol a bit over Smith in both weights. But this fight has more sense at the LHWs. Smith himself looks like a dried LHW. And I'd say, Bivol has more interesting unifying options in his division, why should he move down?

[brilo33]

i like smith but i think a few fights against the best in division will make him a top fighter, i rate bivol the best in light heavy , and the Russian is still improving , were boxing fans i want to see it, i assume at light heavy

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dmitry Bivol-Callum Smith to be ordered by the WBO

The WBO have confirmed that unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will be ordered to defend his title against WBO interim titleholder Callum Smith.

Bivol has not fought since defeating Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed title in their rematch in February 2025. Since that contest Bivol was ordered to defend his WBC belt against mandatory challenger David Benavidez but was stripped after deciding to pursue a trilogy with Beterbiev instead. Bivol then suffered a back injury that has kept him out of the ring ever since.

The mandatories are now stacking up for Bivol, who will return next week (May 30) against leading IBF challenger Michael Eifert in Russia. Should he be successful as expected, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has announced they will “enforce [Callum] Smith as Mandatory for [Dmitry] Bivol.”

Smith had been due to face David Morrell in April with the winner taking on Bivol later this year. An injury to Smith forced him out of the bout and Morrell elected to fight Zak Chelli on May 9 in what should have been a routine win. Chelli, in a major upset, stopped Morrell in the 10th round.

Olivieri also announced that should Bivol choose to not face his mandatory, then Smith would fight “the next highest available ranked contender” for the vacant belt.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dmitry Bivol may relinquish WBO title to pursue Artur Beterbiev or David Benavidez

Dmitry Bivol may lose another world title.

The unified WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight champion was stripped of his WBC strap last year for choosing to pursue a trilogy with Artur Beterbiev. The two Russians have battled twice in two razor close contests, with the score one a piece, hence the desire for a decider.

A back injury to Bivol put an end to talks of a trilogy but after a year out of the ring the Russian returned last month with a lopsided decision against overmatched IBF mandatory Michael Eifert. Beterbiev, now 41 years old, is still demanding a rubber match he believes he is owed.

Bivol, however, has another mandatory due: WBO interim titleholder Callum Smith.

The clock is ticking on Bivol’s decision; pursue a rematch with Beterbiev and lose his WBO title or take on Smith who, like Bivol, is promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. David Benavidez, the WBC titlist at 175, is also under consideration.

“[It shouldn't be long, because obviously [Bivol's] finished his fight now and we need to make sure that we move forward with the plans,” Hearn told Boxing Scene. “Dmitry wants the biggest fights in the sport, he's had his little run out against Eifert – his mandatory – and now he's got to decide if he's going to fight Callum Smith or vacate the WBO.

“There's a lot of interest in the Beterbiev fight in Russia, it's a fight that's important to Dmitry. I think the Benavidez fight is a great fight but so is the Callum Smith fight and obviously it's interesting having both those guys as are our clients. So we've got to see what's next, and if he vacates Callum Smith will be elevated to full champion. Not what [Smith] would have wanted but he'll go out and defend that against a big name. So I think that'll be decided in the coming weeks.”

The current WBO rankings have Beterbiev at No. 1, but should Bivol pursue the trilogy then No. 2 Joshua Buatsi, whom Smith beat on points in a thriller last year, would likely be ordered.

“A great fight,” Hearn said of Smith-Buatsi II. “I mean the first fight was one of the fights of the year, so if that's a defense that Callum Smith has to make, no problem at all, but we'll see. I still like the Dmityi Bivol-Callum Smith fight if I'm honest, so we'll have to see what unfolds.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dmitry Bivol to have elbow surgery July 4, then plans to face Callum Smith in next fight

Unified light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will undergo surgery on his injured left elbow July 4, and will return to fight his WBO top-ranked contender Callum Smith, Boxing Scene learned Thursday.

The WBO is expected to order Bivol-Smith Friday.

Bivol, 25-1 (12 KOs), through his promoter Matchroom Boxing, has informed the WBO of the plans after Bivol returned from a year–plus absence connected to back surgery and defeated Michael Eifert by unanimous decision May 30.

Bivol’s decision allows him to retain his WBO belt, but disappoints those calling for him to stage a trilogy bout with Russian countryman Artur Beterbiev after they split the first two tightly contested matches.

WBC light-heavyweight champion David Benavidez has also expressed interest in fighting Bivol for the undisputed title.

Instead, England’s Matchroom-promoted former super-middleweight champion Smith, 31-2 (22 KOs), elevates to the title shot after his impressive February 2025 victory over Joshua Buatsi.

The timetable for Bivol’s return will be known following his surgery, an official connected to the situation said.

[lookingaround87]

Bumps like this are stupid. Just start a new thread. I was reading 8 year old posts thinking they were recent.

[Taansend]

Bumps like this are stupid. Just start a new thread. I was reading 8 year old posts thinking they were recent.

Me too

Meanwhile, in the time since then, Smith has had TWO decent wins. One against The Gorilla & one against Buatsi.

Ten years from now a christ-like hologram of trump will be leading the United States of Trumplandia & Callum Smiff will still be getting title shots.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The WBO have officially ordered Dmitry Bivol to defend his light heavyweight world title against 'interim' champion, Callum Smith.

The parties have 20 days to reach terms, and if a deal isn't agreed in that time, the bout will go to purse bids.

Bivol also holds The Ring, IBF, and WBA light heavyweight titles.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dmitry Bivol ordered to defend light heavyweight titles against Callum Smith

Unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol has been ordered to defend his titles against his mandatory challenger Callum Smith by the WBO.

Boxing Scene reported earlier this month that Bivol, who recently returned with a win over Michael Eifert in May, after a year–plus absence connected to back surgery, had alerted the WBO of his decision to face Smith next. There had been reports of Bivol facing Artur Beterbiev in a trilogy bout, after their first two razor-close encounters left them one-a-piece, but Bivol has opted to keep his WBO title and face Smith.

Bivol and Smith now have 20 days to come to an agreement or purse bids will be ordered.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed the news that Bivol had been ordered to face Smith with a social media post, reading: “The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered the commencement of negotiations for the WBO light heavyweight championship between WBO world champion Dmitry Bivol & interim world champion Callum Smith.

“Consistent with the WBO regulations and our longstanding ‘One Champion Policy,’ the purpose of this mandatory championship contest is to discharge the mandatory title defense obligation & terminate the interim championship status.

“The parties have 20 days to reach terms, failing which purse bid proceedings may be ordered. Official order notice to be published today.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO orders Bivol-Smith, July 26 date to agree terms

Dmitry Bivol officially has another mandatory challenger to deal with.

The WBO has ordered The Ring and unified light heavyweight champion to begin negotiations with interim beltholder Callum Smith, his mandatory and No. 1 contender. President Gustavo Olivieri is giving both sides just 20 days to agree to terms.

“The WBO world championship committee has officially ordered the commencement of negotiations for the WBO light heavyweight championship between WBO world champion Dmitry Bivol & interim world champion Callum Smith,” Olivieri wrote on his X account.

“Consistent with the WBO regulations and our longstanding one champion policy, the purpose of this mandatory championship contest is to discharge the mandatory title defense obligation & terminate the interim championship status. The parties have twenty (20) days to reach terms, purse bid proceedings may be ordered if failed.”

If Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) faces Smith next, that will be back-to-back fights where he was forced into a mandatory.

In late May, the Russian ended a near 18-month layoff by scoring a wide points win against Michael Eifert, his IBF mandatory.

Soon after, Bivol stated that he wanted a third fight against former undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev. The two are tied at one apiece. Additionally, Bivol named WBC 175-pound titlist David Benavidez as another fighter he would like to take on.
Regardless of what Bivol wants to do next, if he wants to hold onto his WBO belt he has no choice but to face Smith.

The former super middleweight champion has been inactive lately. He handed Joshua Buatsi his first defeat last year to win the WBO interim light heavyweight crown.

He was originally set to take on David Morrell on April 18 with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger for Bivol. But a rib injury during training camp forced Smith out of the fight.

Morrell opted to face Zak Chelli on May 9 and would have fought Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) immediately after. Instead, he lost by 10th-round stoppage, forcing the WBO to order Smith to fight Bivol next.