BoxRec

Callum Smith-Lenin Castillo To Be Added To Joshua-Usyk Undercard On September 25

Callum Smith will face an opponent who has lost to one of boxing’s unbeaten light heavyweight champions in Smith’s debut at the 175-pound limit.

BS.com has learned Smith and Lenin Castillo have agreed to fight September 25 in London. The Smith-Castillo clash will be part of the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk undercard at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is expected to be broadcast by Sky Sports Box Office during a pay-per-view broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It hadn’t been determined at the time this story was posted if the bout between Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) and Castillo (21-3-1, 16 KOs) will be a 10-round fight or a 12-round WBC elimination match.

Regardless, Liverpool’s Smith will fight for the first time since he lost his WBA super middleweight title to Canelo Alvarez on December 19 at Alamodome in San Antonio. Mexico’s Alvarez dominated Smith during their 12-round, 168-pound championship match and won by big margins on all three scorecards (119-109, 119-109, 117-111).

The 31-year-old Smith took the biggest fight of his career on barely four weeks’ notice.

The 32-year-old Castillo competed more recently than Smith. He stopped Ronald Gonzalez (8-1, 8 KOs) after the fourth round of their scheduled 10-rounder July 21 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Venezuela’s Gonzalez suffered an undisclosed injury during the first round and couldn’t answer the bell for the fifth round.

Castillo’s victory over Gonzalez marked his return from a 21-month layoff following his lopsided loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

Russia’s Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) easily out-boxed Castillo throughout their 12-round title bout in October 2019 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Bivol beat Castillo by scores of 120-107, 119-108 and 119-108.

Santo Domingo’s Castillo previously lost to a 10-round unanimous decision to light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne (24-1, 16 KOs) and an eight-round majority decision to Joseph Williams (13-0, 8 KOs).

Boring fight.

When this happens, he'll have last fought nearly a year ago.

He's probably gonna have an easy route to a world title fight.

Probably Bivol.

After this, I expect him out again within 5-6 months.

pretty standard opponent for 175 campaign debut. guy who is durable and basically comes to cover up and go the distance

Fight Week!!

Ryder and Canelo exposed Smith big time. But i think his problem is he cannot fight short oponent who actually can box. Lets see how he handle this

I am glad he ditched gallagher and looking forward to seeing if he can really do well at 175 kg .

He has struggled for a while to make weight so this level should allow him to focus only on the boxing prep and not on weight .

points win CS

stevec@france wrote: ↑21 Sep 2021, 05:32 I am glad he ditched gallagher and looking forward to seeing if he can really do well at 175 kg .

He has struggled for a while to make weight so this level should allow him to focus only on the boxing prep and not on weight .

points win CS

most likely he'll be quite sluggish at that weight

he's looking pretty good at 175kg

Smith win,obvs

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 11:12 Boring fight.

When this happens, he'll have last fought nearly a year ago.

He's probably gonna have an easy route to a world title fight.

Probably Bivol.

After this, I expect him out again within 5-6 months.

He was out injured after the Canelo fight for some time.

I predict a stinker

rare situation where someone is a 1/50 favorite to win the fight, but paying over evens for the stoppage win.

Callum Smith: You'll See a Better Version of Me at 175, I'd Love a Canelo Rematch

“I do believe I’m good enough to be a two-weight world champion. I think I can do it,” Smith told Boxing Social.

“I’d love a rematch [with Canelo]. He beat me and beat me well, no excuses, but I do believe we’ll see a better version of me at 175. That’s my only regret on the fight that we never saw the best version of me in with him. I didn’t perform on the night, and that’s that. That’s on me.

“If I were offered the fight at 175, I’d jump at it if I was a world champion. I’m not going to hold my breath on that one. I do believe he’ll move up at some point, and I think he’ll go wherever he wants to. Yeah, I think we’ll see a better version of me at 175. I think we’ll see a better version of him at 175, and you’ll definitely see a better version of me."

10-round light heavyweight attraction

Callum Smith (27-1, 19 KOs), U.K. (175 pounds)

Lenin Castillo (21-3-1, 16 KOs), Dominican Republic (175 pounds)

I feel this will be a boring decision.

He took Bivol the distance didn't he?

Counter-puncher wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 07:53

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2021, 04:36

“I’d love a rematch [with Canelo]. He beat me and beat me well, no excuses, but I do believe we’ll see a better version of me at 175. That’s my only regret on the fight that we never saw the best version of me in with him. I didn’t perform on the night, and that’s that. That’s on me.

Canelo is never gonna rematch him. He’s a one and done fighter. Unless it’s Lucrative or controversial.

do you think Smith gained some mass? he looked axactly same at weigh in than in previous bouts, that man is ripped to the bone

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 08:19

Counter-puncher wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 07:53

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2021, 04:36

“I’d love a rematch [with Canelo]. He beat me and beat me well, no excuses, but I do believe we’ll see a better version of me at 175. That’s my only regret on the fight that we never saw the best version of me in with him. I didn’t perform on the night, and that’s that. That’s on me.

Canelo is never gonna rematch him. He’s a one and done fighter. Unless it’s Lucrative or controversial.

Only way it happens is if Callum picks up a belt or 2 at Light Heavy

He would get butchered in the rematch anyway

Is Castillo ok?

so did smith look better and bigger and stronger at the weight

fcuk knows how he made 168 he looked shredded and huge at 175.

I would love to see him murder Yarde and put an end to that poseur's career.

Monzon83 wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 21:18 fcuk knows how he made 168 he looked shredded and huge at 175.

I would love to see him murder Yarde and put an end to that poseur's career.

well smith 6 3 so this is his wieght did he move well, i still think smith has potential to be good and a real world champion

My T Sharp wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 18:53 Is Castillo ok?

"He’s fine. He’s in hospital for precautions, but he’s fine, which is fantastic" - Edwardo Hearn.