CALLUM SMITH dreams of fighting at Anfield and has vowed “the time is now”.
The 34-year-old became the WBO’s interim light-heavyweight champion by beating Joshua Buatsi last month.
Callum Smith became interim light heavyweight champion last month[/caption]
The Battle of Britain affair took place in Riyadh on the undercard of the rematch between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
For his next bout, particularly while holding a world championship belt, Liverpool-born Smith dreams of a homecoming fight.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former world title challenger was asked about the possibility of Anfield.
He said: “It’s always the dream and always has been the dream. How realistic it is I’m not too sure.
“I think it needs the right opponent, the right time of year – there’s only a short window where Anfield would let events go on.
“But I’ve got an interim world title now so if it’s going to happen I believe now maybe is the time.
“I’m going to have to speak to my team and people above me to see how realistic it is to happen.
“I don’t just speak for myself, I speak for the whole of Liverpool, I think we’d love to get that over the line but we’ll wait and see.
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“I don’t want to get my hopes up too much but if we can… it would be a quick answer if I got offered to fight at Anfield and I’m sure it would be for every other Liverpool fighter.”
Having beaten Buatsi to earn the interim title since losing to Beterbiev last year, Smith now fancies a crack at Bivol.
The 175lbs star said of the world champion: “He’s the man in the division. We’re waiting to see what he’s going to do with his future. He’s got all the belts so he’s going to get a handful of mandatories.
“He’s going to go with the fight that makes the most sense for himself financially, whether it’s the trilogy [with Beterbiev] or [David] Benavidez.
“He’s got the IBF mandatory, I’ll be his WBO mandatory. He’s got a lot of options himself.”
Smith also opened the door to another Battle of Britain fight, this time with Anthony Yarde.
But he is in no rush to get in the ring with Buatsi again.
“I think a rematch would probably be a bit of a similar fight,” Smith said.
“I’m sure the fans would probably want to see it again. Me, I’m not in a rush to do it again, I don’t think he would be either!”
Smith, 34, defeated Joshua Buatsi in Riyadh last month[/caption]
