“I all the time assumed he’d vacate because I heard the trilogy was happening with Beterbiev,” Smith said to talkSPORT Boxing. “But from what I’m hearing, he desires to fight me next. So fingers crossed we are able to get all of it sorted over the road, and we are able to get a fight on.”
The WBO recently ordered Bivol to face interim champion Smith, with the winner expected to maneuver forward because the division’s leading champion after months of inactivity brought on by injuries and mandatory obligations.
Smith acknowledged the lengthy wait has been frustrating after spending much of the past 18 months on the sidelines.
“It’s probably going to be the longest I’ve had out the ring,” Callum said. “He had an operation on his back, then he needed to maintain his IBF mandatory before the WBO one was called. It’s type of a backlog. That’s the issue when one fighter becomes undisputed. The mandatories line up, and also you’ve got to attend your turn.”
Despite entering the fight because the underdog, Smith said he stays convinced he can dethrone Bivol if he performs at his best.
“As a fighter, I all the time consider in myself,” Smith said. “I consider at my best I can beat anyone on this planet, and I still stand by that.”
Smith dismissed the notion that Bivol’s victories over Artur Beterbiev, who stopped Smith in 2024, mean he has little probability of winning.
“Styles make fights in boxing,” Smith said. “Simply because A beats B and B beats C doesn’t mean A beats C. I’ve got to go in there, use my skills, use my attributes and be certain that the most effective version of me turns up.”
Former world title challenger Paul Smith also expects the fight to occur, arguing that Bivol has consistently faced every mandatory challenger placed in front of him.
“History would suggest that he’ll take that fight in a heartbeat,” Paul Smith said. “For those who’ve got your interim champion there, that’s what he has to do to maintain hold of those titles. So I consider that fight will occur next.”
