The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has rejected an official request made by interim champion Callum Smith for his next fight against current titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
“Callum Smith, as WBO Interim Champion, maintains his status as the next in line for a mandatory defence. However, the Committee is empowered to extend the period for discharging a mandatory defence for good cause," stated Luis Batista Salas, chairman of the WBO championship committee, as reported by BoxingScene.
The Committee finds that the anticipated Bivol/Beterbiev trilogy constitutes good cause to extend the mandatory defense period in the present circumstances. The Committee hereby denies the request to order a mandatory defense by Dmitry Bivol against Callum Smith at this time.
Smith's last match was against Joshua Buatsi in February this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In that bout, which went the full distance, Callum won by unanimous decision and claimed the WBO interim world championship title in the light heavyweight division. His record stands at 31 wins (22 by knockout) and two losses.
