Boxing Odds: Callum Smith vs. Canelo Alvarez Prediction

Arguably the best boxer on the planet returns to the ring Saturday night from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, when Canelo Alvarez takes on Callum Smith in a super middleweight title fight. Alvarez is a -864 favourite on the boxing odds with Smith at +461 and a draw at +2400. The fight should begin around 11:15 p.m. ET and is available via pay-per-view.

Smith vs. Alvarez Boxing Odds

One big reason that boxing has been overtaken by the UFC in terms of combat sports popularity is because there are so many alphabet organizations in boxing that it’s utterly confusing. For example, Alvarez is the WBA’s “regular” super middleweight (168 pounds) titleholder while Smith is the WBA’s “super” titlist in the same class.

The WBC super middleweight title is vacant but that will also be up for grabs Saturday. That became vacant when then-champion David Benavidez missed weight for his bout against Roamer Alexis Angulo in August. Even though Benavidez won, he wasn’t eligible to retain the belt. The IBF doesn’t even rank either Alvarez or Smith with Caleb Plant its champion. Neither does the WBO, which lists Billy Joe Saunders at the top. Silliness.

Canelo Alvarez at Home in Texas

Ring Magazine ranks the 30-year-old Alvarez as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and it’s hard to argue that considering the Mexican is 53-1-2 with 36 knockouts in his Hall of Fame career – he’s also currently the WBA and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) champion. Canelo’s lone loss came to unbeaten legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. by majority decision in 2013.

Canelo actually fought Callum Smith’s older brother Liam in September 2016 and beat him by ninth-round knockout (Callum was ringside). Alvarez had two wars for multiple world titles with Gennady Golovkin in 2017 & ’18 with the first ending in a split decision and the second a majority decision in favour of Alvarez. There is talk those two could fight a third time next year.

Alvarez won a world title in a fourth weight class in his last fight when he stepped all the way up to light heavyweight (175 pounds) and knocked out Sergey Kovalev in the 11^th round of their November 2019 bout. By doing so, Alvarez joined the late Henry Armstrong as the only fighter to hold world titles in three different weight classes simultaneously.

Because of the huge Hispanic population in Texas, Alvarez often fights there – this will be his fourth in the state and second at the Alamodome. Canelo might be the most popular athlete in all of Mexico. There will be limited fans allowed to attend Saturday.

The 30-year-old Smith is from England and is a perfect 27-0 with 19 knockouts. Ring Magazine doesn’t rank him among the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world but as its 168-pound champion. Smith didn’t know Alvarez would be his opponent until last month after Alvarez became a “free agent” by splitting from streaming service DAZN and promoter Golden Boy.

“Mundo” has fought outside the UK/Europe only a couple of times in his career and was last in the ring in November 2019. He defended a couple of super middleweight belts with a unanimous decision victory over relative unknown John Ryder, who gave Smith fits.

At 6-foot-3, Smith will have a nearly seven-inch height advantage Saturday as well as about an eight-inch reach advantage. Smith has claimed he’s too big for Alvarez to handle and that Canelo isn’t a true super middleweight but belongs at middleweight. Alvarez has just two fights at that weight (Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Rocky Fielding).