Callum Smith to fight Luke Blackledge in bumper night of Sky Box Office action on December 10
Monday 21 November 2016 15:12, UK
Callum Smith will defend his British super-middleweight title against mandatory challenger Luke Blackledge at the Manchester Arena on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Smith makes a first defence of the title he won in spectacular fashion last November when he knocked out local rival Rocky Fielding in Liverpool inside a round.
The unbeaten 26-year-old is looking to move to 22-0 and add to his 16 KO wins, and it represents a chance to showcase his ability ahead of a world title tilt in 2017.
'Mundo' is the mandatory challenger for the winner of the unification battle between IBF champion James DeGale MBE and WBC king Badou Jack who meet in Brooklyn on 14 January.
Smith said: "Luke is a good fighter, he comes to win, he's game and durable and it promises to be a cracking fight.
"I'm proud to be British champion and I'll defend it until I can get a fight for a world title. It was good to see James and Badou finally get their fight signed.
It was good to see James and Badou finally get their fight signed. It's a win-win for me.
"It's a win-win for me. If Jack wins it'll probably be in Vegas and that's every fighter's dream to fight for a world title in Vegas, but if James wins, which I think he will, then that's a massive domestic fight and we've seen that the British fans love those events."
Smith's clash with Blackledge is part of a huge night of action in Manchester as Anthony Joshua MBE defends his IBF world heavyweight title against Eric Molina.
Dillian Whyte faces bitter London rival Dereck Chisora in an official eliminator for the WBC heavyweight title, Scott Quigg returns to action after treatment on his broken jaw following his unification blockbuster with Carl Frampton, and the Bury star moves up to featherweight as he looks to regain his status as a world champion.
Kal Yafai can become Birmingham's first world champion but the unbeaten 27-year-old faces a tough task to take the WBA super-flyweight title off Luis Concepcion, the two-weight world champion that will enter the ring in his 11th world title outing.
Irish amateur sensation Katie Taylor boxes for the second time in the paid ranks after making her pro debut at The SSE Arena, Wembley on November 26, Heavyweight wrecking ball 'King Kong' Luis Ortiz fights in Europe for the second time after clashing with Malik Scott in Monte Carlo on November 12 and Hosea Burton will defend his British light-heavyweight title against Frank Buglioni.
Watch Anthony Joshua v Eric Molina at the Manchester Arena, on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
