Matchroom Boxing confirmed the change, removing Smith from the WBO interim light heavyweight title fight at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. The card will continue with Ben Whittaker now headlining Braian Nahuel Suarez, with the event still scheduled to air on DAZN.
The withdrawal also leaves David Morrell without a fight after a long wait to secure the match.
The fight was ordered by the WBO, with the basic agreement taking 136 days to reach agreement, followed by further delays before a date was finalised. Smith’s retirement on April 6 adds to the time Morrell spent inactive while the fight was put together.
For a veteran like Smith, who is likely looking for one last big payday or a path back to a belt at 175, Morrell is a nightmare assignment.
The timing is what really hurts. Waiting 136 days just to get an autograph, only for the fight to fall apart twelve days before the opening bell, is a massive blow to a young fighter’s momentum. Morrell has been stuck in waiting room mode for months, and in boxing, inactivity can be just as damaging to a rising star’s career as a loss.
At this stage of his career, Morrell needs rounds and exposure. Being on the sidelines while the WBO figures out Smith’s recovery timeline keeps him in limbo.
At 35, Smith’s body may just be reaching a breaking point, but fans are rarely that sympathetic. The “he didn’t want it” narrative is hard to shake when the negotiation was already such a crawl.
Reaction online was immediate and largely negative. Some questioned the decision to continue with the revised main event, while others turned their attention to Smith.
“Just turn the show off,” one fan posted. “Callum Smith is protected again.”
Another wrote: “You can’t headline what’s coming,” referring to the alternate main event involving Whittaker. Some of the responses went further, with one fan writing that the 35-year-old Smith “should retire already.”
There was also frustration with the overall map after the change. “Now that’s a poor main event with an atrocious card,” read one comment, while another added: “Who in their right mind would want to see that fight.”
Not all responses were critical. Some pointed to the loss of the original match itself, with one fan writing: “Shame, would have been a good fight.”
The event remains in place, but the reaction reflects a shift in how the April 18 card is now viewed.
Morrell is now at the mercy of a medical report. If Smith is out for a significant amount of time, the WBO has a responsibility to move on. You cannot hold a mandatory or interim lock hostage indefinitely, especially if the claimant has already been as patient as Morrell.
It is also a huge disappointment for the Liverpool fans. Ben Whittaker is flashy and fun to watch, but he is in the “prospect” phase. Moving him to the main event doesn’t replace the world class tactical battle that people paid to see.
