TONY BELLEW thinks Callum Smith has ‘every opportunity’ to knock out Canelo Alvarez.
And the former WBC cruiserweight champion believes Canelo will have the ‘shock of his life’ when he feels the size of 6ft 3in Smith.
Canelo Alvarez is in talks to fight Callum SmithCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Tony Bellew fancies Smith’s chances of knocking out Canelo Credit: Getty Images – Getty
The Mexican icon is in talks with the WBA super-middleweight champion for a potential headliner in December.
And Bellew tipped his fellow Liverpudlian Smith, 30, to have the best chance of dethroning the pound-for-pound star.
He told IFL TV: “It’s a brilliant fight. If anyone is going to do Canelo, it’s going to be Callum Smith.
“I think Callum Smith has every opportunity to knock Canelo out, I really do.
“Canelo will have the shock of his life when he feels the strength of Callum Smith up close.”
Alvarez has not fought since moving up to light-heavyweight in November last year to KO Sergey Kovalev for the WBO belt he later vacated.
But the frustrated fighter has spent this year on the sidelines having failed to find an opponent due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And streaming service DAZN – who Canelo signed a £278 deal with in 2018 – would not approve proposed fights put forward by the 30-year-old.
Here’s how the two fighters compare ahead of the potential showdown
As a result, he terminated his partnership with the platform and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
As a free agent, Canelo is searching for an opponent and Smith – unbeaten in 27 fights – appears the frontrunner.
His promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports: “I’m getting messages saying: ‘I hear it is imminent!’ It is close.
“We are approaching a period where everyone wants to fight before the end of the year and we are running out of weeks.
“Ultimately Canelo is the boss. He is running the show. For Smith? This is the golden chance. But the deal must the right and the prep must be right.
“If we reach a point where he is happy with a deal, we’ve got a fight. But we’re not there yet.
“It is the opportunity of a lifetime for Smith and it’s what we always looked for.
“We didn’t expect it to come in these circumstances but if it presents itself he will grab it with both hands.”
Eddie Hearn says Canelo Alvarez is in talks to face Callum Smith or John Ryder in December
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
