WBO interim title fight cancelled as Smith withdraws, Morrell left waiting and Liverpool card reshaped
Callum Smith has withdrawn from his April 18 WBO interim light heavyweight title fight with David Morrell due to injury, cancelling the scheduled main event in Liverpool. Ben Whittaker now headlines against Braian Suarez as Morrell is left without an opponent.
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 go ahead with Ben Whittaker now headlining against Braian Nahuel Suarez, with the event still scheduled to air on DAZN.
The withdrawal also leaves David Morrell without a fight after an extended wait to secure the matchup.
The bout had been ordered by the WBO, with the basic deal taking 136 days to reach agreement, followed by further delays before a date was finalized. Smith’s exit on April 6 adds to the time Morrell spent inactive while the fight was being put together.
For a veteran like Smith, who is likely looking for one last major payday or a path back to a belt at 175, Morrell is a nightmare assignment.
Waiting 136 days just to get a signature, 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 as a loss for a rising star’s career.
At this stage of his career, Morrell needs rounds and exposure. Being sidelined while the WBO figures out Smith’s recovery timeline keeps him in limbo.
At 35, Smith’s body might simply 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 proceed with the revised main event, while others turned their attention toward Smith.
“Just call the show off,” one fan posted. “Callum Smith being protected again.”
Another wrote, “You can’t headline that come on,” referring to the replacement main event involving Whittaker. Some of the reactions went further, with one fan writing that the 35-year-old Smith “should retire already.”
There was also frustration with the overall card following the change. “Now it’s a weak main event with an atrocious card,” one comment read, while another added, “Who in right mind going to want to see that fight.”
Not all responses were critical. Some pointed to the loss of the original matchup itself, with one fan writing, “Shame, would have been a good fight.”
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 can’t hold a mandatory or interim slot hostage indefinitely, especially when the contender has already been as patient as Morrell has.
It’s a huge letdown for the Liverpool fans, too. Ben Whittaker is flashy and fun to watch, but he’s in the “prospect” phase. Moving him to the main event doesn’t replace the world-class tactical battle people paid to see.
“The WBO will grant Team Smith a 10-day period to submit a medical report detailing diagnosis, prognosis, recovery period, and expected return to competition,” said WBO president Gustavo Olivieri on X.
“Pursuant to WBO regulations, Mr. Smith is afforded 180 days from the Bivol-Eifert bout to fulfill his mandatory obligation against Mr. Morrell. Failure to comply within this period will result in the [interim] title being declared vacant.
“The winner of Smith-Morrell MUST face the winner of Bivol-Eifert to terminate the [interim] status.”
Given that Morrell has already invested over 136 days trying to get the Smith fight done, he could wind up investing a year of his career trying to get this clash done. The 180-day countdown doesn’t start until Dmitry Bivol faces Michael Eifert on May 30th. So, Smith has a lot of time to heal up.