The current super middleweight division may have world champions and undefeated contenders, but former British titleholder Paul Smith believes it falls far short of the standard set by previous generations.
Simon Jordan pointed to previous eras that featured fighters such as Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward, arguing that today’s crop of super middleweights has yet to produce comparable stars. Smith had little disagreement.
“I totally agree with you there, Simon,” Smith told talkSport Boxing. “I’ve said this over the last few years on a lot of interviews I’ve done. If you go on BoxRec and look at the top 10, some of the top 10 super middleweights there haven’t even had 10 fights. If I were to name seven of them to an average boxing fan, they wouldn’t have a clue who they are.”
Paul said the contrast becomes even more stark when compared to the division during his own career, when world-class competition included fighters such as Ward and Arthur Abraham, while the Super Six tournament featured many of the sport’s elite names.
“When we talk about the British scene, I was British champion. I never once said I was the best fighter in Britain,” Smith said. “Carl Froch was number one, George Groves was number two, James DeGale was number three, and I was number four. They were all either world champions or knocking on the door for world titles.”
Others on the panel argued that today’s champions are talented but lack the personalities and name recognition of previous generations. Current title holders include Christian Mbilli, Hamzah Sheeraz and Osleys Iglesias, while contenders such as Jaime Munguia, Diego Pacheco and Lester Martinez are also climbing the rankings.
The discussion comes as the division enters a new phase following Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez, a result that split the major titles among several fighters and created new opportunities at the top of the weight class.
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Last updated on 2026/06/19 at 15:04
