Callum Smith isn’t get his hopes up about a potential fight with Canelo Alvarez.
The super middleweight titleholder told BoxingScene.com that he has no idea whether he will face Alvarez and has stopped paying attention to the incessant chatter surrounding the possible matchup.
The British fighter also said that rumors suggesting he has received an offer are false.
“The first time round it was dead exciting,” said Smith, referring to his name being in the mix. “I would read every article and I would get my hopes up. I was in negotiations through Eddie [Hearn] with Golden Boy and you do think, ‘I could get this and if I do, it’s huge.’
“Now, until the fight is done, I won’t give it much thought. You read articles saying ‘this source says this, this source says this.’ I saw one source saying I had been made an offer. I haven’t received any offer.
“People just want to make their own version of it and with social media it spreads so quickly. I have been here before and didn’t get the fight, I’m not going to be getting too excited about it. It is a fight I would love, but I’m not too sure there is that much chance of me getting it.”
Word is that Golden Boy Promotions, which handles Alvarez, is looking for a bargain opponent for a September fight.
That is due in part to the coronavirus pandemic, which will require the participants to sacrifice a lucrative live gate. Still, Smith says, if Alvarez and Co. want to put together a compelling event, they must invest in it.
“I spoke to Eddie last week,” he said. “He said my name was in the mix. I think DAZN would probably like it, because it is a good fight for them to get subscribers, but Golden Boy would prefer a cheaper option because they have no revenue on the gate.
“It’s a Catch 22. You can’t get a cheaper opponent and then expect it to be a mega fight that people want to tune in for. And if you want a fight that people will tune in for, you have got to pay for it.
“People want to see good fights if they are going to subscribe. You have to put on fights people are willing to pay for. They might have to bite the bullet.We will have to see. In the end, it is down to Golden Boy, DAZN and Canelo himself. I am sure he has a big say.”
Golden Boy could opt for John Ryder, who enhanced his reputation when he lost a disputed decision to Smith in November. He presumably would command less money than Smith.
“I understand the circumstances,” Smith said. “Billy Joe [Saunders] had the fight, as far as I know, and the whole reason that isn’t happening is because they agreed a price and now they have come round and said that because they haven’t got the crowd, they can’t afford to pay him that.
“So they want to take a cheaper options, but the world champions aren’t going to take the money they want to pay. No disrespect, but to someone like John Ryder, who hasn’t earned huge money in his career, what they are willing to offer is life changing for him.
“Whereas for some of the other champions who have had good paydays, it isn’t. If Ryder does get it, I see the logic, because his name is well thought-of since the fight with me. If Canelo goes in and does a brilliant job on Ryder, they will say he handled him a lot easier than I did.
“It would be a smart move for him and he’s probably not in a position to demand huge money.”