Making his MSG debut, Callum Smith ready to prove he’s “the best Super-Middleweight in the world”

When it comes to fighting in New York, there is a lot of pressure to succeed. That is especially true if you are on the undercard of an Anthony Joshua fight and you have a title. For Callum Smith, this moment means everything to him, and he will do whatever it takes to make it memorable.

The current WBA and The Ring Super-Middleweight Champion, Smith (25-0) will be making his United States debut on June 1st when he defends his titles against Hassan N’Dam. After about 8+ months since his last fight, the 29-year-old is looking to make a statement. He won the aforementioned titles and was crowned the World Boxing Super Series Champion after knockout out Geroge Groves in Saudi Arabia. Making his first title defense, Smith is ready to show he belongs inside the World’s Most Famous Arena.

“To have my first defense at Madison Square Garden is going to be special and it’s another box ticked for me personally,” Smith stated in a press release. “People call it the Mecca of Boxing and I’ve always seen it as a venue that I’d love to fight at one day. The minute that there was a chance of it happening I pushed to make sure that I could be part of this show.”

Smith’s first defense won’t be an easy one, as Hassan N’Dam (37-3) is an established fighter. With 21 wins via KO, the Frenchman from Cameroon has fought all over. A former WBO and WBA Middleweight Champion, N’Dam is on a one-fight win streak. He beat Ryoto Murata for the vacant WBA Middleweight Title in May of 2017. In a rematch a few months later he lost the belt via stoppage. He then rebounded after taking a year off, defeating Martin Murray via majority decision in December.

When looking at Smith’s opponent, it is hard not to see this as a true step up in competition. A win against N’Dam can prove just how real the hype is on Smith.

“I believe that I’m improving all of the time – I’ve even improved since winning the World title,” Smith stated. “I believe that I’m the best Super-Middleweight in the World. There’s a few fighters in my division who probably disagree with that and rightly so. If I am the best on the planet then I should be able to get rid of Hassan N’Dam and look good doing it.”

The pressure is on for Smith. It is actually surrounding him heading into this fight. From a United States debut to the idea of bigger matches with a win, Callum Smith needs a win more than anything. Perhaps there is too much internal pressure considering what could be at stake.

No distractions can get in the way, not even the thought of a Canelo bout. The middleweight king, Canelo (52-1-2) holds a majority of gold in the division with DAZN. He joined super-middleweight to defeat Rocky Fielding for the WBA belt. Even with the possibility of that fight happening, Smith still needs to focus on the task at hand.

“The fact is, with Canelo, is that if I slip up on Saturday night, that fight doesn’t happen,” Smith continued. “That’s gone. So that’s what keeps me motivated – that I have to come here this Saturday and win to keep those massive fights alive. I’m fully focused on June 1^st.  I’m in a very good place and I had a great training camp.”

One of the hottest boxers out there today, Callum Smith is ready to show the world who he truly is. Under the bright lights of New York City, can he pull off the win against N’Dam and secure his place at the top?