And I stand by that now and I stood by as I did 2 months ago when it was 1st announced and I know John Reuter and his coach Tony Sims believe that they can turn the so-called disadvantages into advantages he's 5 or 6 inches shorter in height very similar disadvantage in reach but I get the sense with Callum Smith's The even though this is his 2nd fight of the year and the top line fighters tend to fight only twice a year that there has been a lack of momentum you spoke about the fight against George Groves That was September of last year that should have really catapulted him to the forefront of British boxing and although within the sport there is great respect for him and many people would have him as the number one pound for pound British boxer right now I still think that it is lacking that momentum and just needs to get back out on Saturday night to win on Saturday night and then move on to the fights that everybody's been talking about in the build up including him against possibly Canelo Alvarez Billy Joe Saunders is another of the world champions in the super middleweight division who we saw on the recent youtube was barely in Los Angeles so there's so much out there for Smith but I think that momentum is going to happen soon because he's 29 now in to be perfect all of your talents charisma lack momentum since he turned professional We had a great run of 6 1st round wins and he had some good windy you know you start rocky field in around but it's been all full of oases little island stops as opposed to a grand toll of so what's it to use a small geographical. Geographical method might be this fire should have been in about February or March up here he would've had the momentum from the sensational George Groves victory and he will pull a domestic guy classic That's the way you should do it at home 4 months later then he could have had a big something in the summer and then he could have had or you could have had some it big in September evil y. e. Evil why this fight really would have been ideal I or 9 months ago doesn't diminish it as a fight but we're just talking in a brutal cold while Let's get that right still to come this week we'll look ahead to the rematch between the Want a while there and Luis Ortiz coming up in Las Vegas at the weekend and we'll hear Eddie Hearns thoughts on the prospects of Dylan white appearing on the undercard of anti Joshua's rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr in just over 2 weeks time in Saudi Arabia but I'm delighted to say we've been joined now by Callum Smith who's made his way down from the stage can and we were talking about momentum in your career and how we felt that it hadn't really kicked on since the George Groves win now I know you wanted to take time out you become a father for the 1st time but how are you feeling now as we move into event essentially your homecoming Yes I feel good so I understand people's frustrations with the activity and. Listen it's not not down to me I boxed in June in New York on the plan was to do September then there December Tyga to me I'm bored. The position I'm in it's not as easy to sort opponents on stuff and we kind of run out of time so we decided to go with the one in November bull and I'm not a I live a good life folks are putting I'm never too far away from the gym I'm always always there or thereabouts to tend to fitness so it's now I was very active alien We could hear I think the other night in the fish she had an 82nd year and I believe that's when I was like me best going to fight in regular And I think that that's when people will see the best of me when it when it when I'm fighting a bit more often and hopefully that's the plan for 22 I need to know to get this not the way and then have a busy next year and fight some of the big names which I believe will bring out the best in me as a say you just step down off the stage on the stage it was noticeable on the head to heads the advantage you've got but given those what dangers does he present sees you go fight it and I think everyone fights at this level is in the position to be there in the old bloke old enough to be good on how any given day I've always believed that the best vision of nation beats anyone in the world and I've had the same mentality since I was comin through. Would concentrate on me make sure the best version of me step in that ring and if that's the case then I'll believe I'll be to have it and this comes being about very good spot and we notionally through large over to a very similar to John and. Where one set of things which I feel like comes gone very well I'm very confident this fight and I believe whatever version of Johnson's are part of our answer for an hour wake ups in the morning still a world champion and I've been talking about how you've been referring to possibly moving up to light heavyweight at some stage and if you're talking about moving out you've got to be struggling either way yet now to be honest here it's more just. From going to face a professional I don't want to be in boxing for years and years it's a tough sport and provide the whole get in achieve what I wanted to Am What I wanted to get out as soon as possible and it's a very unforgiving sport it's a tough sport and the goals are set yourself a whole set the bar really high and want to become a world champion Plummer said then come to be unified will champion kind of be a 2 a champion and a spotlight everything will create I believe I'm good enough and big enough to move on I just don't want to move just yet because I still believe the stuff I can achieve out 168 ball I've got a very good team a court a very good nutritionist in Scott Robinson and we do all the test and then I can still do ship in middle Well I can still perform at it which may last a few few fights the show went on as long as that's the case in the still out there for me to win I want 68 I believe I'll stay. And if it all goes well either way can was for you the biggest fight out there is it Canelo is it Billy Joe Yeah I don't feel I think the canal is obviously the biggest one is the biggest maybe in box and we'll wrap it all now I doubt To be honest we had a think I don't know what way he's going to fight out next all he was going to fight on of the cube about 50 different fighters are probably in my position won the fight so I'm not going to waste me could be a chase and a fight that might never come I said it was up and I take it to fight a believer when stylistically. If not then it's clear the champions of my weight division were pelts that all were all undefeated I think a fight with any of his is good for boxing and hopefully some of them can be made next year and they were talking about possibly you overlooking John Ryder this weekend but I mean somebody was on the undercard and Madison Square Garden of Joshua Ruiz if ever you needed a reminder yeah exactly what I was overseeing that one up close and I've been around boxing a long time I've seen many upsets and it's just I'm a perfectionist in day to day life and I am very articulate a way to are to become a world champion to give it up to complacency and it's all well and go talking about you Kanellos in your own field and 2020 I lose to John Rod and battle disappears so that's the only motivation I need to sit so when the belts and I don't plan on giving them up and it sounds to me you're on the bill when you were there wait with us when we did loads of I just had a rematch between it also forms a pick to be honest which is obviously go for blocks and go for funds I think Drew Brees goes in it was the exact same again it wouldn't surprise me if Joshua goes in and blow them away probably would surprise me and I think you might hear. Klitschko type of performance from Joshua to you my job and post them up and then wait until the time's right time to come out later on and I think I'm going to go with the I don't need the result will surprise me it's a proper It's so fun to call which is why I said just go for boxing fans as a neutral Callum's you think next for you has to be one of those monster. If you nice him I said I hope so I think an idea isn't a an idea where either like one states after George Groves a thing you know you're going to Belton you want a big fight no one wants to keep busy fights or to hold was and some not to suspect and an old to the 30 possesses ball is not what he superstar names is not it didn't know you as it doesn't hold about what I can get I don't get enough Him By be in him and there the fights that I want to feel that's when people will see the best of me so I hope so no as long as I keep women then not always be in a position to get big fights whether the next or whether after wait a couple will have to wait and see before I've got to do my part let's keep going and thanks for taking time out on Saturday I can choose Thank You Thank You Thank you Allen Smith heading away to do a number of other interviews and don't forget you can air live commentary on b.b.c. 5 Live on Saturday evening from around 10 pm and interesting what Callum was saying this thing about Anthony Joshua who we've been to see this week and we'll talk more about him later in this podcast as for the fight itself I just think Callum Smith hits too clinically to cleanly for him and there's something from the George Groves fight and a particular habit of Callum's miss that I think could be decisive in this fight Stevie he catches pansies when I say catches he parries punches on his left arm you know kind of Smithy's Orthodox against rider who's a South Pole and against George Groves he did this he catches the opponent's right hand which in right his case is going to be his jab you stay with me on this but the right hand from George gross gross through one he parried it with his left forearm did Kalam Smith and then immediately before the Right had made his way back to gross chin he clicked the left took over the top and that started the beginning of the end of that fight against George Groves he does that really well where he catches the opponent's right hand and then fix the left hook over the top given that Ryder is so much shorter and is going to have to step into range to close that gap. With that right hand late I think that could be decisive but then not just that shot is just generally the way he's a very very smart punch because I was watching back that on the card fight on the on the card of Joshua Mary's in Madison Square Garden his house and them and he picked his punches absolutely beautifully and though you might say in them was in above doesn't matter which they should but what a brilliant performance in terms of punch picking my limit to the meters about you know I find that it's really interesting because he's not 62 he's closer 63 might even be tall I mean he's a he's an absolute giant he doesn't fight even though he stands tall when this is an odd thing people want out I'm going to say you know and say he doesn't fight like a tall rangy guy he froze shots like he's a compact 5 foot 9 inch Mexican from some part of Los Angeles he froze it was shot you're talking about there he shouldn't really be able to Frodo shot like that Mike but that shouldn it doesn't work right but he can and that's some of the skill in how complex he is so we have that Mike and what you're saying the praise your given him Izzy the best pound for pound books in Britain I mean people have declared him the best super middleweight in the world I'm not going to argue with that but we did say and had this debate on the Pocahontas a few weeks back and I just thought that the body of work over the last 18 months of Josh Warrington given the level of the opponents he beats least Selvi Ok at home but he was a massive underdog he goes on to be Carl Frampton so that body of work over the course of of a year I think rates him above Callum Smith but pound for pound would kind of Smyth be Josh Warrington listen to an argument that he would but I think it is an argument worth having because of what Warrington has actually done and takes us back to that lack of momentum in countless Miss career but anyway stay that fire is live on b.b.c. 5 Live on Saturday night from around 10 pm a few hours later in Las Vegas it's the on say wild against Luis all. Season there rematch of that fascinating contest in March 28th which Wilder won in the 10th round but not after a serious fright in the 7th round when he was saved by the Bell who however much it of a cliche that might be earlier on in the 5th round he had Ortiz in great trouble so you know the criteria of the best fights is they go one way than the other and back the other way again and that that was a serious test for Walter and in a sense to me that set him up for the Tyson Fury fight and the performance he produced there coming through diversity in thought I love the 7th round I love the desire a burning out of all t's eyes it be a trail when you realize these look even lost these charts because all it takes is always what you don't have as a star or 9 all seasons or the training for the rematch to trust me because you know that's a law schools he's got about 4 minutes of life left in that ring and he's already got its mind on a rematch I don't delighted 7 it's not you know it's a it could be a disaster if it's lies of you eat it will tease does does get to Berkeley if that happens then that Tyson Fury while the fight next year that's gone well this is a great fun heavyweight fight and I'm going to drag out this statistic against which we did last time out ahead of his fight against dominate Brazil but it it is just a staggering statistic this one he's making the tense defense of the w.b.c. Heavyweight title he won it in January 25th means he's been champion for almost 5 years now and is still dismissed as somebody who can punch but can't fight and yet making the tense defense so the other heavyweights who've made 9 successive defenses of the title include Muhammad Ali Joe Louis Lennox Lewis Mike Tyson and Adam and Vitali Klitschko Joe phrase here Larry Holmes and the other one Tommy Burns who lost the title to fire fighting back in this firefight in 1908. That is steam the company whatever he says about you know the heavyweights there are around right now but you know he keeps on finding a way to weigh in and it means we keep on talking potentially about the rematch against Tyson theory which we're still being told his favorite 22nd would know a lot more about that in the coming 10 days I suggest after we find out the result on Saturday night and them willy one day ever fight Antony Joshua Well of course in theory that's what we're looking at next year we're looking at slightly City Year off the. The Waldo fury fire even if Waldo winds are no fury insists it's made Bob Arum insists it's made who knows I think this is a really tricky 9 minutes on Saturday night at the m.g.m. He hasn't got that long left Ortiz but I think he's got free vicious rounds and will and he will have to stop particularly fast Walter but not reckless and you know what he gets really furious when people try and just bracket him as a tall man with a big punch he's cool she's got a great punch he hurts people we've seen what he's done it's nice and fury twice especially in its work around but he insisted you go for his books and bring you know you literally pull up clips when I do the interview him up on the show that day you know that mad 2 hours with me when I was doing some stuff with bt we were up a lot of floor at the show and he actually pulled out he's followed and showed me instances of his footwork and when he was shot in people out for the jab and one of the same people out for the right hand included in the toss and not down he went for it took about 5 minutes one for him to go through that 12 2nd sequence so he really put the box up and you gotta love that they don't see a world let me tell you Steve you watch back on You Tube or anywhere that replay of that knock down against Tyson Fury don't let anybody tell you that was just too wild swings he's aloof and you get it in slow motion you watch him measuring time that's what he show you with the right hand white sometimes the left hand it's brilliant stuff and sure at times he does look reckless he usually looks reckless when the opponent is under most pressure when we're going back to that fights the one I think is really important here all I hear is that those 12 rounds must have done Tyson Fury the power of good what about the anti Wilder that's only the 2nd time in his entire career he's been in the distance and the 1st time against a man Stephen when he said title he won every 2nd of every round wasn't challenged wasn't really pressed didn't have to think about where he was placing his punches who's to say that Walter hasn't learned a tremendous amount from that fight. As well I think we're going to learn a lot on Saturday night as to how Wilder has come out of that fight against Hearts and fury Yes we saw him blitz dominate Brazil in a single round but this might be a bigger test of that boxing ability that he does have despite what everybody else seems to think and I think that makes Saturday's fight intriguing for that reason alone and it's wild that makes intrigue and it's all teases Last Stand and more than that more I think you're so right we're going to see a different Walter because that 36 minutes last December at the Staples has made him a better father but candy on tell you all the change after all this time as a professional will be assessing his fight his rematch against Luis Ortiz in our regular Monday podcast along with the world title fight between Callum Smith and John Ryder and on Monday we'll hear an extensive interview with Anthony Joshua because we've come here to Liverpool Steve straight from Sheffield and Anthony Joshua's training camp what do you make of him in terms of his physical appearance and how he sounded he is still big Obviously he's got through a look leaner in the face these movies what you move this way around his face did look different and he's both the look different but you know I don't think that means he's going to come in a stoner in pounds lighter it definitely slimmer around around around the waist or for his face the face did look strange if you know why because he's going for a bit of a wild man look with the Harry No it's not you know that he's bristly and he's kind of got that look what I did like about yesterday he seems to be a man of many mosques I was listening to want to leverage their views and he was doing different stuff with different people different mediums different talk there are different levels of of journalists he was responding to the different he was given them all sorts of stuff some of the stuff you got I mean you know it's a long interview my I mean why our standards we just had a long interview but there's some great stuff in there were you close the time up in knots did a bit of a Paxman on him in fact there was there was off the charts that song was going to follow Tao and at one point he was about a man. It was actually what went wrong in New York it wasn't the plan to say it was pandemonium. Trust me honestly. It was it was you didn't know it's here and I was doing all sorts of sign language I would decide and it was basically saying come down Live ask you one last question ask him about he's asking advice trainers or something because you need to pitch your half jocular to make one point though our women means we reserve my go to Saudi you know giving them our live in but how you how well dumb and I think the high and reach advances that just are as over may be slightly more than kind of Smith arrives over to your own right as you can know when you get your share of a good question I love a chat up in knots not what I was doing last night to go full Oh yes you know when you go in right because there's about a 2 2nd polls