Apr 6, 2026
0 min read
Callum Smith suffered an injury and has withdrawn from his April 18 light heavyweight fight vs. David Morrell in Liverpool, England, sources told The Ring.
Smith’s promoter, Matchroom, subsequently confirmed the report and announced that Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker would now fight in the main event.
Smith, 35, was formerly The Ring’s super middleweight champion. The Liverpool fighter rejuvenated his career in February 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a close decision win over Joshua Buatsi.
Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) attempted to become a two-division Ring champion but was stopped in Round 7 of his January 2024 light heavyweight bout vs. Artur Beterbiev.
Smith is rated No. 3 by The Ring at 175 pounds. Morrell is No. 6.
The Cuban last competed in July when he eked out a disputed decision over fellow Ring-rated contender Imam Khataev in a slugfest.
Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) lost to David Benavidez in February 2025. The 28-year-old floored Benavidez late in the fight.
It’s unclear if the fight will be rescheduled at this time.
Mike Coppinger is The Ring’s Senior Insider. Catch him every Monday on Inside The Ring on DAZN at 2 p.m. ET. Follow him on X/Instagram: @MikeCoppinger.
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