By: Hans Themistode
If the opportunity presented itself, anyone and everyone would seize the opportunity to face Canelo Alvarez. With Mexicans considered boxing’s number one attraction, both in terms of skill and box office appeal, boxers have repeatedly urged their equals to take on them in the ring.
However, regardless of his prestigious stature and the countless bags of money that could be thrown at him, Joe Smith Jr wasn’t really interested in going that route.
Smith Jr told Brian Custer on the Last Stand Podcast: “At this point, people will choose to fight Canelo because there is money to make money. “Really, for my legacy, I want to be known as a great warrior. I want to fight [Artur] Beterbiev and [Dmitry] Bivol. ”
After failing to win the world championship against Bivol in 2019, losing a widely agreed upon decision, Smith Jr was right back on the drawing board. As a result, the New York-born player went on to win three in a row, the latter winning his first world title.
With heavy gold wrapped around his waist, Smith Jr. has gone from hunter to being hunted. In addition to his possible future confrontation with Alvarez, Smith Jr is also the target of current 168-pound contender Daniel Jacobs. However, despite Jacobs adding his name to the list as a possible future opponent for Smith Jr., the newly crowned WBO belt holder is more inclined to aggregate more world titles.
“It wasn’t really the kind of fight I wanted,” Smith Jr. said. “The battles I want, I want to unify. I want to fight Betterbiev and Bivol. I’m not trying to go backwards, I want all the belts.”
In Alvarez’s case, since winning every world title at 168 pounds to become the division’s first undisputed world champion, the Mexican product has expressed a desire to go head to head with Beterbiev in front of eyes. However, the multi-division champion is facing the opportunity to compete for the cruiser championship in the first half of 2022.
On the other hand, Beterbiev currently holds the 175-pound IBF and WBC belts. The heavyweight champion recently registered his 17th consecutive knockout victory on December 17, 2021, against Marcus Browne. Beterbiev smashed his man several times before scoring in stoppage time in the ninth minute.
