‘MUNDO’ REFLECTS
John Dennen speaks to Callum Smith about beating Erik Skoglund, the WBC Diamond belt and what he must still achieve
Smith dissects his recent victory over Skoglund, and reveals his targets
‘THIS FIGHT WAS PERFECT FOR ME. IT’LL STAND ME IN GOOD STEAD’
WHAT are your thoughts on the Erik Skoglund fight? It was good to be back. A good fight. I was a little nervous beforehand where even in training camp I knew I was up against it. I knew I’d have to be near my best to get the win. I haven’t had that since probably [Hadillah] Mohoumadi here which was April last year, so a good 18 months ago. I don’t want to be disrespectful but I’ve had my fights since where they were good opponents but I knew 30 seconds in I had the beating of them. I probably performed under par because of that.
I knew Erik Skoglund was a good fighter. I watched him and he had a lot of good wins. He was big and he’s hard to beat. Even when I was in there he had a good jab. There were times in the fight where he was causing me a lot of problems and there were times where I felt good and I felt I had the upperhand. That I was causing him a lot of problems. I think I just caused him more than he caused me and I got the win.
I felt comfortable all the way through it. I felt I was outthinking him and outsmarting him in most of the rounds. I’ll have to watch it back. I’m always critical of myself. I gave him two [rounds] going into the last. I think he won the last round. The last round was like the amateurs when you’re six points up on the scorecards, just moving and staying out of trouble. I thought I had a lot left in the tank. I was reserved a bit because I had a lot left in the tank. I was a little bit wary in the rounds. I knew I could do 12 rounds, I knew he’d finish strong but it was good. I’m pleased. Regardless of the World Boxing Super Series, regardless of the [ WBC] Diamond belt, it’s a good win against a good opponent. It’s a good win, I’m pleased.
How physical a fight was it?
I was saying to Joe [Gallagher, his trainer], I was winning the rounds but I was having to think a lot to win them. The first round was like an amateur fight. Just jabbing each other. It wasn’t your average pro fight where you chase an opponent round the ring, when will I get to him, when will I land, when will I stop him. This was different. That’s boxing at the highest level. You don’t win every round and when you do you have to think to win them. I just feel this fight was perfect for me. It’ll stand me in good stead. Before this the best fight I probably had was the [Christopher] Rebrasse fight. It went 12 rounds against a good fighter. I think this has topped that. He was a better fighter. Even the rounds I was winning he was making me think and work to win them. I think I’ll benefit a lot from it.
Your nose bleed was quite bad.
It was like someone just turned the tap on and it wouldn’t stop bleeding. He hit me with the jab. Nothing that hurt me, it was just gushing. I think he just upset my rhythm. If it went at the end of the round, it probably wouldn’t have been as bad. It was gushing. I couldn’t wait to get back to wipe it, clean it up. When my nose goes in sparring I’m the same, I move and when I get back in the corner I wipe it and I’m back to normal. I thought that was the case once it got cleared up and stopped bleeding I thought I came out and won that round. It just upset my rhythm a bit. I thought it came at a good time for Erik because I felt I’d won a lot of the early rounds, I outsmarted him. It was a good time to get himself back in the fight. I knew I needed a big round after to put him back in his place and show that it was just a round that I ➤
switched off and it wasn’t the fight turning.
After each round do you look out to the crowd, look at your brothers and see what they’re saying?
Yes, as much as I’m my own man I’m still the youngest brother. I still look up to them three and I value [what they say]. As the bell goes I’ll have my opinion on the round and I’ll look to them. They’ll give me it and then I’ll sit on the stool and ask Joe. If the three opinions say I won the round then I’ll believe I won the round. If they don’t say I’ve won the round, then I’ll know I’ve lost it. They’re pretty honest. It’s just one of them, it’s just reassurance. I look to them and I believe there’s not many people in and around me who know boxing better than them. I have my own opinion, their opinion and I get Joe’s, all together if they’re all singing off the same hymn sheet then I know it’s right.
I think Joe is still a bit wary of me taking my foot off the gas. But it’s just reassurance. They know boxing better than anyone, they know me better than anyone and they’ll be honest. If I lose a round they’ll tell me, if I win it they’ll tell me… You have your own opinion on it but it’s harder to score your own work because you’re a bit critical of yourself. When you’re landing shots, then you might forget about shots landing on you. It’s all about opinions.
After the 11th, you hit your chest, you’d knocked him down, had your best round of the fight, was it that moment that you knew you’d won it?
I thought I was nicking the rounds but you never know. It was very similar to the Rebrasse fight. It was close. I thought I was winning the rounds but he’s still in the fight. I knew when I dropped him it was a 10-8 round. A 10-8 that I think took a lot out of him. It showed that he knew he could be hurt by me. It gave me a bit of confidence, I knew I could hurt him and 10-8 round that late in a fight, which I felt he was chasing anyway, I thought it just sealed the fight. At that point I knew the fight was won, unless I did something drastically silly and got caught then I knew the fight was won. What do you think of the WBC Diamond belt you’ve won? This was a world-level fight, but do you feel like a world champion?
No, to be honest with you if I was to retire now. [ Jorge] Linares was the WBA Super champion and WBC Diamond champion and it’s very good to have, but I haven’t won another world title. Frampton boxed [Leo] Santa Cruz for it and it’s a good title to win but he had another world title. He’d already won his world title. Whereas I haven’t yet. It’s a good belt to win like I said but if I had an IBF with that I’d be dead proud of it. If you look at the people who have won it [ WBC Diamond], the
‘THERE’S NOT MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW BOXING BETTER THAN MY BROTHERS’
very top names have won it, Mayweather, Linares, Pacquiao, stuff like that, Sergio Martinez. So it is a good belt to have but I can’t help thinking this should have been the original WBC. I was number one. I wanted that fight and then I got messed around for it and then [ Anthony] Dirrell didn’t even get that fight. When he pulled out I felt me and Skoglund was a good enough fight to have for it. It was a better fight than [David] Benavidez-[ronald] Gavril. I think me versus Skoglund was a good enough fight. But I understand how because I pulled out I gave up my chance. I made my decision to go in the tournament so I had to make do with what I had. I was a little bit disappointed. I should be world champion tonight, in my opinion.
I think that belt’s a good belt to have when you have a world title, it’s just I haven’t had the world title yet. If I retire now then I don’t believe I’m a full world champion. You’re not about to retire though.
No, I’m only getting started. I’ve got a lot to achieve and I believe I can achieve a lot more in boxing. I’m good enough to be a world champion. This is just one step towards that. Before that fight you were standing outside the ring on a step – illuminated. How did that feel?
In the earlier days when I was on the undercard I used to come in and I’d see the ring, get in and get a feel for it, then I’d box. Now it’s already started by the time I get here. So I come round in the afternoon, I was there about one o’clock and they showed me what I had to do. It was similar to the draft. It’s good, it’s a bit of a pain when you’re doing it but looking back I think it was good, it looked good, it looked the part. At the time I was thinking, ‘Can’t I just get in the ring?’ It probably looked good for the crowd. Everything they’re doing, they’re trying to do the best possible and so far so good. The lowest moment of your career was missing out on the Olympics (due to a dodgy decision in Turkey). How far do you feel you’ve come since then?
A lot. You were there, I thought it was the end of the world. The Olympics was everything I’d ever worked for for years. I was on the GB camp and it was always London, London, London. You go to tournaments and you win or you lose but it was all towards London, London. To get it took away from you when I’d felt I’d done enough to go hurt me. Then you turn over and you’re watching the Olympians get all star treatment and stuff. But at the start of my career I had a lot of good wins and I got a bit of a headstart on them all. When they turned pro, I had my own name.
I look back and I wish I was an Olympian. But I said then that wasn’t the end of me. I was going to win a lot more. I’ve done it so far. I’ve won a British title, a European, WBC Diamond and I still believe I’ll win a world title. But if I could win five world titles and retire there will probably be a bit of me that will still be a bit bitter that I should have been an Olympian.
I’ve still got a lot to achieve in my career.
‘I LOOK BACK AND I WISH I WAS AN OLYMPIAN. BUT I SAID THEN THAT WASN’T THE END OF ME’