Brother Paul is adamant while Watt has another match in mind...
Monday 17 November 2014 16:54, UK
Callum Smith is the young gun closing in on the established super-middleweight stars, so while he focuses on Nikola Sjekloca on November 22, we thought we'd get The Panel to look into the future...
Paul Smith: Both of them! Yes he's my brother but this is a kid I see every day and styles make fights, so either one would be in trouble. You need the attributes and he's got them; he's 6ft 3in and more than capable of fighting up close. He has everything and could take on either of them and as much as I respect them, I think he beats George Groves and James DeGale.
A Groves fight is definitely more winnable but I think us fans would be the real winners if they met.
Jamie Moore: He'd probably trouble Groves more because George likes to have a bit of a tear-up and while he can box on the back foot, you can draw him in to a proper fight - and you do not want to do that against someone who can punch like Callum Smith. I think James DeGale's slick southpaw style would give Smith a lot of problems; his left-hook to the body is probably his best shot but it is difficult to get it off against a southpaw. A George Groves fight is definitely more winnable and on top of that, I think us fans would be the real winners if they met.
Glenn McCrory: Callum has not yet been fully tested. Joe Gallagher is still protecting him and picking the right opponents but I think we all want to see him let off the leash. If that happened I would have to pick James DeGale. Groves has movement, speed and power but while DeGale is tricky, awkward and a southpaw, I just thing he stands in front of you. That makes me think Callum Smith would cope with him but I certainly wouldn't say he could beat him at this stage. I want to see Smith take one on the chin or how he handles being in trouble, because we have seen Groves do that to the very best in the division.
Johnny Nelson: I’d say Groves. And I've already heard what happened in sparring. George knows it, Callum knows it and people behind closed doors know it as well. He would give Groves more trouble than he would to DeGale: range, punch-power, youth, pace. George is great and aggressive and he does make mistakes in the gym and Callum really put it on him in sparring. And when all three of them were sat on the bench on Ringside I knew that, they knew that and when I asked the question about sparring, I wondered how Callum would handle it. He is a very humble kid, George didn't bite and neither did DeGale.
Jim Watt: Smith wouldn't be anything like favourite against either of them so I prefer to look at it the other way round - and that means James DeGale would give Callum the most trouble. I would give Smith a chance to beat, or certainly give Groves problems though because those two losses are still in our minds - and maybe his - and Smith can really punch, too. We are shooting the breeze here but I have a serious question I would like to ask: is he going to fight Rocky Fielding? We have two fighters in the same division, from the same city, at the same stages of their careers and you only have to look at what is going on in Hull. Yes, Paul Smith muddies the waters a little bit but for me it is a promoter’s dream that is staring them in the face.
Who do YOU think Callum Smith would cause most problems too? Use the feedback form below...
Watch Smith v Sjekloca live and exclusive as part of Cleverly v Bellew II, on Sky Sports Box Office on November 22, with Joshua, Groves, DeGale and more, also on. Go to skysports.com/cleverlybellew to book.
