Callum Smith can emulate Gennady Golovkin, says Nigel Benn
Tuesday 5 April 2016 15:01, UK
Nigel Benn has labelled Callum Smith as boxing’s next superstar and believes he can become the Gennady Golovkin of the super-middleweight division.
Smith (19-0-KO14) looked sensational on Saturday as he stopped Frenchman Hadillah Mohoumadi inside one round to become the mandatory challenger for Badou Jack's WBC world title.
Benn believes the 25-year-old has the talent to dominate the super-middleweight division and even thinks he has what it takes to takes to topple light heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev.
"There is only one person I can actually say that is a class above everybody else - and he has only just started - and that is Callum Smith," Benn told Sky Sports News HQ.
"He is 6ft 3in. How does he make super-middleweight? I honestly believe he would dominate it all right now.
"I think if he went up to light heavyweight and fought Kovalev he would dominate that as well and I think he can go up as far as cruiserweight.
"He is number one. He is like what Triple G (Golovkin) is at the middleweights. He is ferocious.
"What I saw when he fought Mohoumadi - I watched him work this guy's body, uppercutting him, hooking him at speed and at pace.
"When he hit that guy I thought 'Man, you are spiteful'."
Super-middleweight is one of the most talent-rich divisions in British boxing, boasting IBF world champion James DeGale and George Groves among its ranks.
But Benn says none of the current crop could beat Smith and believes the last British super-middleweight capable of doing so is himself.
"He is going to be the next superstar," Benn said. "The only person that would give him a hard time would be the old 'Dark Destroyer' from back in the day.
"To me, he is just phenomenal."
