Callum Smith’s scheduled WBO interim light heavyweight title defense against David Morrell has been postponed after Smith suffered an injury, forcing a late reshuffle of the April 18 card in Liverpool.
The bout, set for the M&S Bank Arena, had been in the works for over six months but fell through less than two weeks before fight night. Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) was preparing to make the first defense of the interim belt he won against Joshua Buatsi in February 2025, while Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) entered the fight following a split decision win over Imam Khataev.
With Smith sidelined, Ben Whittaker’s light heavyweight clash with Braian Nahuel Suarez has been elevated to the main event slot for the DAZN broadcast. Former UFC fighter Molly McCann is also set to appear on the card.
The WBO has instructed Smith to submit a certified medical report within 10 days and ordered that the fight with Morrell be rescheduled within 180 days following the Dmitry Bivol vs Michael Eifert bout on May 30. Failure to meet that deadline could result in Smith being stripped of his interim title.
Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing