Callum Smith wants a rematch against Kanell, but there’s no going back

The Matchroom-promoted Smith didn’t back down on how he viewed the night, even as the rest of the division moved on. The fans saw what they saw. Smith was outmatched against Alvarez in their 2020 fight and spent much of the contest with his back against the ropes.

Nothing since Cannell vs Callum Smith has given anyone a reason to look otherwise. The result was clear then, and it is the same now. Smith stayed active and picked up wins at 175, but didn’t produce performances that would force us to revisit what happened.

Canelo has lost his stride in recent outings, even in the fights he’s been winning. Performances against Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia looked weak, and his performance against Terence Crawford made the decline more visible. Despite the loss, Alvarez can still pick and choose and has no reason to revisit an opponent he’s already had trouble with without difficulty.

Smith has a more immediate problem ahead of him against David Morrell Jr. on April 18 in Liverpool. That fight will say more about his position than anything related to Canelo. If he loses, the conversation ends there. If he wins, there’s still work to be done before the rematch becomes anything more than talk.

The idea is only held on one side. Canelo already gave him the answer six years ago and nothing has changed him since. A more realistic rematch for Smith would be to focus on Artur Beterbiev, who knocked him out in seven rounds in 2024.

At least Beterbiev is fighting in the same weight class as Smith, and that would certainly increase the likelihood of them fighting again. Interestingly, though, Callum isn’t thinking about wanting to go back for another fight with the Betterbys. Why is that so?