WBO Denies Callum Smith Request to Fight Dmitry Bivol
- Matthew Brown
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
05/14/2025
Former undisputed and current unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will keep one of his three remaining world titles—at least for now.
On Wednesday, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) formally denied a request from Interim WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Callum Smith to mandate a title fight with Bivol. According to the organization, Smith’s team submitted the request on April 10, seeking to compel Bivol to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation.
“Mr. Sean O’Toole, acting as legal counsel on behalf of WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Champion Callum Smith, submitted a formal request to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) seeking a ruling to compel WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol to discharge his mandatory defense obligation against Callum Smith and to initiate a negotiation period for said bout,” the WBO stated in its official ruling.
The request was ultimately denied. The WBO clarified that it would extend Bivol’s mandatory defense obligation to accommodate the proposed trilogy bout between Bivol and unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
The decision continues the logjam in the light heavyweight division. Bivol, who previously held all of the sanctioning body titles after defeating Beterbiev in February, recently vacated his WBC title rather than face Interim WBC Champion David Benavidez. The WBC had grown impatient waiting for the IBF to enforce its mandatory—a process that has been dormant since 2021—and moved to enforce their own instead.
Talks were underway for a potential Bivol vs. Benavidez clash earlier this year, but the fight collapsed after Bivol refused to commit, reportedly due to political interference from Riyadh Season chairman Turki Alalshikh. Bivol has fought under Alalshikh’s promotional umbrella since 2023, and while Alalshikh initially expressed interest in a four-man tournament involving Benavidez, David Morrell, Bivol, and Beterbiev, he later backtracked.
Instead, Benavidez was offered a bout with Smith for another interim belt. Benavidez declined, but remained open to fighting Smith in the future, pending the WBC’s title resolution. Smith’s team never followed up, leading many insiders to suspect that Smith’s offer was a strategic maneuver to stall Benavidez’s pursuit of the WBC title.
Now, with the WBO’s ruling, Smith has no clear path to a full title shot. Though he earned the interim belt with a February 22 win over Joshua Buatsi, the WBO has granted him only the right to pursue voluntary defenses against any of its top 15 contenders. Reports indicate Smith is in talks to face British rival Anthony Yarde in August.
The IBF’s mandatory Michael Eifert is just sitting on the toilet.
As for Bivol, he remains focused on completing his trilogy with Beterbiev, a rivalry that currently sits at one win apiece. The third fight is reportedly being targeted for October in Riyadh.
Benavidez—who also holds the WBA Regular Light Heavyweight title—is expected to formally petition the WBA to mandate a fight with the trilogy’s winner.
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