Wednesday 16 January 2019 13:31, UK
Callum Smith is set to miss out on a homecoming fight at Anfield, but the WBA champion could instead seek a unification fight against Caleb Plant or Gilberto Ramirez.
Smith had hoped to make the first defence of his WBA 'super' title at the home of Liverpool Football Club, although these ambitious plans for the Merseysider seem to have been scuppered by the cost of hiring the 54,000 seated stadium, and the unavailability of big-name opponents.
Alternative options will be discussed when Smith sits down with promoter Eddie Hearn and the 28-year-old super-middleweight will target newly crowned IBF champion Caleb Plant, or WBO title holder Ramirez.
Trainer Joe Gallagher, who is also the acting manager for Smith, told Sky Sports. "It looks like there's going to be no Anfield show for Callum Smith this year. As far as Anfield, we're in the middle of January now, and there's been no discussions, so that looks like it's off the table now.
"Plan B, we've got to sit down with Eddie, and see what the next step is for Callum Smith, whether it's The O2, Manchester Arena, Las Vegas.
"Obviously Caleb Plant won the world title at the weekend, a unification fight there is something we're looking at. Gilberto Ramirez is another option we're looking at, and they're the type of fights we want Callum Smith to be involved in.
"Everyone can see there are Canelo-GGG talks going on in May, so for a fight to happen in Anfield, really it would have to be a big name.
"Andre [Ward], he's like 'The Riddler' out of the Batman films, he keeps teasing people everybody. He knows our feelings and he knows that's the fight. It's only those type of personnel, high-profile fighters that could get a football stadium."
Smith propelled himself to the top of the division when he took the WBA belt with a knockout victory over George Groves in September.
With a number of his 168lb rivals sharing the ring in the coming months, 'Mundo' is keen to receive his first fight date of 2019.
"We're looking to get Callum Smith out in May," said Gallagher. "I want Callum Smith out early May, back end of May, and that's it. In a big fight, that's what we want, have a Ramirez or a Plant.
"There's a lot of action going on in the super-middleweights. [Anthony] Dirrell is coming up as well, obviously you've got the DeGale-Eubank fight. There's lots of action going on, we just want to know we've got an opponent."
