WBO orders Smith vs Morrell for interim title

Callum Smith’s first secondary title defense will likely pit him against fellow slugger David Morrell Jr

With a pending rubber match between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev keeping the main four light heavyweight titles occupied, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has ordered Callum Smith to defend his interim belt agaisnt David Morrell Jr, giving them 30 days to come to terms.

Once seen as a star in the making, Morrell (12-1, 9 KO) has struggled to distinguish himself since moving from 168 to 175. His divisional debut against Radivoje Kalajdzic snapped a nine-fight knockout streak and his subsequent showdown with David Benavidez saw him stagger “El Bandera Roja” but ultimately fall short on the cards.

His recent victory over Imam Khataev did little to rehabilitate his image, as Khataev floored him in the fifth and had a strong argument for earning the decision despite running out of steam.

Smith (31-2, 22 KO), by contrast, is coming off a career-best performance against undefeated Joshua Buatsi in February. Outside of his loss to Artur Beterbiev, he’s taken to his new weight class quite well, showing off the power and durability needed to hold his own against opponents he can’t dwarf.

Hopeful we see this one, as their styles promise a donnybrook.