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Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions won a purse bid on Sunday in Brooklyn to promote Anthony Dirrell versus Callum Smith for the vacant WBC super middleweight championship, the WBC announced.
It’s the same title Badou Jack vacated after he decided to move up to light heavyweight following his majority draw against James DeGale in a 168-pound unification match on Jan. 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The former titleholder Dirrell (30-1-1, 24 knockouts) previously lost to Jack by majority decision in April of 2015; England’s Smith (22-0, 17 KOs) last fought in December, stopping Luke Blackledge in the tenth round. He has been the mandatory since he knocked out Hadillah Mohoumadi in the first round in April of 2016 in a title eliminator.
TGB Promotions, representing Dirrell, won with a bid of $1.603 million, beating Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, which put up $1.201 million and handles Smith. The fighters will split 90 percent of the winning bid (each will make $721,350) with the remaining 10 percent ($160,300) going to the winner. TGB Promotions has 90 days to stage the bout, which will likely take place in the U.S. Tom Brown didn’t immediately return a message for comment.
“I’ve always said in the past how I would love to win a world title in Liverpool, but travelling to win one in America wouldn’t really bother me too much,” Smith told Sky Sports. “I’ve always wanted to fight over there. I have been over there for other shows and I’ve travelled with my brothers when they fought for world titles, so it won’t be a bit unknown for me. I’ve been there before. It’s not the best outcome, but it’s not the worst.”
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