What Callum Smith can learn from Clinton Woods vs Roy Jones Jr

Callum Smith goes into the lion’s den on 13th January against IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. Liverpool’s ‘Mundo’ is a former WBA super middleweight champion in his own right, but Beterbiev is a different proposition altogether.

Smith isn’t the first Brit to travel abroad in order to face the best light heavyweight on the planet. While the likeable Liverpudlian will fly to Canada to meet Beterbiev, Sheffield star Clinton Woods made his own voyage of light heavyweight discovery to America in 2002. The former European champion made the step up to world class in the most difficult way possible. Woods signed to fight pound-for-pound phenom Roy Jones Jr.

Like Beterbiev, Jones was a fighter who nobody had truly beat. Sure, he had suffered the ignominy of a disqualification loss to Montell Griffin for supposedly hitting him while he was on the deck five years before. But the fact Jones knocked him out in a single round of their rematch told you all you needed to know about that one. For all intents and purposes, Jones was unbeaten in the ways that mattered.

It’s easy to see why, looking back. ‘Superman’ boxed in such a way that even landing a clean punch on him was worthy of celebration. Melding the puzzle-box brilliance of a Pernell Whitaker with evasive tricks he discovered through his admittedly-questionable passion for cock-fighting, Jones was an enigma. 

But the then-three weight world champion was not all about safety. He possessed venomous power, too. Virgil Hill found that out when his ribs imploded on Jones’ glove. Glen Kelly was taught a similar lesson when he was knocked out by a move that began with Jones positioning his hands behind his back. Roy was the best defensive boxer on the planet, but he just might have been the best attacking fighter too.

It was this monolith that Woods stood in front of in 2002. Like Smith as he prepares for Beterbiev bout, he entered the bear pit in good form. A Commonwealth title loss to David Starie four years before was the last defeat on his record. Woods had fought his way into the world rankings with 13 victories since, winning 11 of those by stoppage. Jones was often criticised for taking on easy fights, particularly in the aftermath when he had usually dominated them. But it would take a harsh critic to suggest Clinton Woods hadn’t earned his spot.

But as he did with so many other opponents, Jones made a mockery of his challenger’s world class credentials once the bell rang. Woods deserved to be fighting for the WBC, WBA and IBF light heavyweight championships. But nobody deserved to exist on the same plain as this version of Jones. 

A virtuoso display unfolded, with Woods being brave but ultimately broken in the sixth round of a thrashing. The fight would stand as the last light heavyweight glimpse of Roy in his inimitable prime. After stopping Woods, he would move up to heavyweight and beat WBA champion John Ruiz. Many think he should have stopped there, your scribe included. If he retired in that moment, Jones would have gone down as perhaps the greatest fighter of them all. Tragically he fights on. Roy was last seen losing a decision to UFC fighter Anthony Pettis in April. Jones was 54 years old while ‘Showtime’ was making his boxing debut. An ignominious end to a glorious career, if it indeed is the end.

Woods enjoyed a happier time of it post-Jones. Proving his worth at the top level, Clinton would win a world title of his very own in 2005, stopping Rico Hoye. Woods would fight one of Jones’ conquerors, Glen Johnson, in a thrilling trilogy that defined his career. After losing his belt in 2008 to Antonio Tarver, who went 2-1 in his own trilogy with Roy Jones Jr, Woods would retire in 2009.

Jones-Woods is obviously not the best omen for Smith. But he has elements that Clinton didn’t. He is a former world champion, whereas Woods’ title would come in the future. Smith has already been in the ring with a pound-for-pound star too, dropping a decision to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2020. ‘Mundo’ will have learned a lot about fighting on an event of this scale, lessons Woods hadn’t been taught yet when he faced Jones. 

Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Smith has learned a lot in his career so far. The Scouse superstar will do everything in his power to make sure he doesn’t repeat either Woods’ loss to Jones or his own defeat to ‘Canelo’ when he meets Beterbiev.