IF size was all that mattered, Callum Smith would be the big favourite against Canelo Alverez.
The Brit defends his WBA (Super) and Ring Magazine super-middleweight titles against the Mexican in Texas early on Sunday morning and will be looking to shock the world.
Callum Smith towered over Canelo Alvarez during their first face-off on Tuesday night
Callum Smith will defend his WBA and Ring Magazine super-middleweight titles this weekendCredit: Reuters
Smith’s third defence of his 168lb belts will provide him with the toughest test of his professional career.
But the Scouser goes into the bout with significant height and reach advantages over the hard-hitting Mexican, which were evident for all to see in their first face-off on Tuesday night.
Smith, 30, towered over the stocky and powerful Canelo, who looked as if he should be competing in a different weight class.
And the difference in height between the pair soon became a major talking point on Twitter moments after their face-off.
One boxing fan tweeted: “The height difference is crazy. I’ll be rooting for Smith but I can see Canelo chopping him down with axing body shots as he did to Rocky Fielding.”
Another said: “That is quite a height difference. Canelo works well on the inside.
“But hopefully Smith’s jab is up to keeping him at bay and frustrating him – it may continue to be the month of the jab! Looking forward to it.”
One excited fan said: “I’ll be interested to see if Smith can use his height and reach but think Canelo will wear him down and stop him but height difference is huge.”
Despite being champion, Smith goes into his lucrative showdown with Canelo as a massive underdog.
The Liverpudlian is confident of causing a huge upset this weekend and is adamant he’s not taken the fight because of the lucrative payday that comes with it.
He told Ring TV: “Four weeks’ notice for the biggest fight possible isn’t ideal.
“However, given the times that we’re in, I kind of expected to get it at late notice. And I wasn’t sitting around doing nothing.
“If I’d been sitting around doing nothing and got four weeks’ notice, then I would have passed on it.
“I’m the champion and as long as I have those belts, I’m in a position to land the biggest fights possible.
“And I would still have been in a position to secure the Canelo fight. I would have seen the year out and tried to get it next year.
“I’ve taken this fight because I believe that I’m ready and I’m in good shape. I believe that I’ll be able to go in there and do what I do.”
Smith added: “I’m good enough to win the fight, I’m a winner, and I don’t take fights for a payday.
“I’m here to win, and if you’d seen me training over the last few weeks you’d know that I’m not just here to make up the numbers.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
