Joe Smith Jr. (27-3, 21 KOs) should have had a mandatory defense, but the WBO light heavyweight champion will end up facing a different opponent than originally planned.
Smith Jr. had to defend his title against Umar Salamov (26-1, 19 KOs) at the end of October, but this fight was canceled when the champion tested positive for Covid-19. Now that Smith Jr. is healthy and ready to return, Salamov's candidacy was dropped, and an equally physically powerful candidate was chosen: Callum Johnson (20-1, 14 KOs). The Briton, after losing the war with Artur Beterbiev, has already got three victories in a row.
The Smith Jr.-Johnson bout will take place on January 15 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. The winner will have a commitment to the WBO and the next fight will be a mandatory defense.
Due to visa problems, Salamov will not be able to fly to the United States, and he is no longer considered as a mandatory challenger. The winner of the Smith Jr.-Johnson bout will face the best of the Lyndon Arthur-Anthony Yarde pair on December 4th.
