At 35, coming off a longer-than-expected stretch out of the ring, Smith has described April 18 at the M&S Bank Arena as a homecoming. The reality is sharper than that. He has an opening again, and at this stage of his career, it cannot sit there untouched for long.
Smith has not fought in Liverpool since 2019, and he admitted he “didn’t expect to be out of the ring for this long” after his win over Joshua Buatsi. That detail speaks to how quickly relevance can fade in a crowded division. The WBO interim title on the line against Morrell is not decorative. It is his route back into the championship picture.
He made that clear himself. “For the time being, Dmitry Bivol is the man in the division,” Smith said, adding that the winner of this fight “could fight him or get elevated for the belt.” That acknowledgement reflects the reality of the interim route. A victory places Smith directly behind the champion in the sanctioning order and keeps him within reach of a title opportunity regardless of how Bivol’s next move unfolds.
Morrell’s presence is what makes the night volatile. He is younger, technically polished, and accustomed to fighting at a high level early in his career. Smith called him “a good fighter with good skills” who has been tested since his second or third professional bout. That assessment is accurate, and it explains why this homecoming carries risk. Morrell is not traveling to Merseyside to support a script. He is arriving to win and change the direction of the division.
Smith insists he believes he “can beat anyone in the world,” and that becoming a two-weight world champion remains his objective. What stands out is how quickly the conversation returns to Bivol. Even while cautioning himself against looking past Morrell, he acknowledged that facing Bivol would be ideal and referenced their amateur history as familiarity rather than fantasy.
Liverpool will energize him, and he clearly values that setting. “Nothing beats fighting in front of your own in Liverpool,” he said, recalling the six-year absence. The crowd will be strong, the setting familiar, and the event built around his name. Those comforts can sharpen execution, but they also raise expectation, and the pressure in this building will fall on Smith.
Light heavyweight does not pause for anyone. Smith rebuilt his position after the loss to Artur Beterbiev and steadied himself at 175. This fight determines whether that rebuilding restores him to the front of the queue or leaves him circling the title picture again, with fewer clear routes remaining as the division moves forward.
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