Smith: I’ll show George what he’s going to face
CALLUM SMITH is looking to put on a show in front of George Groves as he bids to face the Londoner in the World Boxing Super Series Final this summer.
Groves will be ringside in Nuremberg tomorrow for rival super-middleweight Smith’s fight with Nieky Holzken, which is the second semi-final of the new tournament.
The 29-year-old reached the final last weekend by easily beating Chris Eubank Jr in Manchester and though he dislocated his shoulder in the bout, the WBA and IBO world champion is desperate to be ready for the big day, set for June 2 at the O2 Arena.
Smith, who is unbeaten in 23 fights and facing a new opponent after Germany’s Jurgen Brahmer was ruled out this week through illness, says he will be inspired by the presence of Groves (right) at ringside.
He said: “I always knew from the start of the tournament that there was a massive opportunity that George would be waiting in the final.
“I just want to win, win well and look good doing it. But I would be very foolish to look past my semi-final with what’s at stake.
“Me against Groves is a massive fight and that’s great motivation for me.
“The change of opponent is not ideal but it could be worse. I’m still fighting on Saturday, still in the tournament and still looking to get in the final.
“I believe I am good enough to adapt and change and adjust to the new opponent and get it done.”
The Groves camp are certain that Smith, who is 1/100 with bookmakers to beat former kick-boxer Holzken tomorrow, will prove a sterner test than Eubank Jr.
At 6ft 3in the 27-year-old from Liverpool is taller than Groves and has the strength and ringcraft to match the Londoner. He is the former British and European champion and is rated the third-best super-middleweight in the world by Ring magazine — one place behind Groves.
Smith, one of four fighting brothers, was identified by No1 seed Groves as the major threat at the outset of the tournament, with 17 knockouts in his unblemished career to date. Groves’s trainer Shane McGuigan said: “Technically, he’s better than Eubank and boxed at a much higher level as an amateur. But I believe George has the tools to beat Smith.”
Though Smith spent weeks preparing to face southpaw Brahmer, a former two-time light-heavyweight world champion, he is not expected to be troubled by the far less experienced Dutchman, who has fought only 13 times — 10 of those fights taking place in his in homeland.
But the 34year-old Holzken is still confident in his ability. He said: “My last fight was three weeks ago against Viktor Polyhakov and I knocked him out in the second round.
“The day after, I was asked to be the reserve fighter for Smith and Brahmer. I am not stepping in to lose. I am stepping in to win the tournament. I am here to take over.”
Meanwhile, promoter Kalle Sauerland will have talks in Germany this weekend regarding what steps to take should Groves not be fit but there is scope for a small delay to the fight date.
Callum Smith v Nieky Holzken will be shown live on ITVBoxOffice
Callum Smith 27
23
23
17
74% 100
6ft 3in 78in
3
1/100
Britain’s women were this lunchtime fighting to make it through to Sunday’s final. Confidence has grown after four wins on the bounce in this round-robin competition but if Eve Muirhead (below) and her team fall short today, they’ll be going for bronze — a medal the Scot won in Sochi four years ago — at 11.05am tomorrow instead. While the curling looks the best bet for Team GB to pick up their fifth medal of the Games and thereby achieve the target set by UK Sport, there may yet be a possibility the bobsleigh men bag a medal. Much rests on how both crews fare in their opening two runs on the preceding day. All eyes will be on the closing ceremony and how internal IOC politics has played out in PyeongChang. Tomorrow, a decision will be made by the IOC’s executive board over whether Russia can march in their national colours and in their national uniform. All the indications are that, despite a failed drugs test by one of the team’s curlers, that will be the outcome at the closing ceremony.
‘I always knew there was a chance George would be waiting in the final — I just want to win and look good’ Callum Smith