Callum Smith’s decision to print the word “autism” on his shorts during his boxing match against Artur Beterbiev on January 13 generated a lot of curiosity among fans. A few years ago, the Englishman had spoken about the noble reason behind this choice. Smith and his brothers, Paul, Stephen, and Liam, are all world-class boxers who wear the “autism” shorts to raise awareness about the condition. The former super-middleweight champion’s younger sister, Hollie, was diagnosed with autism when she was just two years old.
At the time, the family was largely unaware of the condition, and given that Smith is a championship-caliber boxer, he decided to use his platform to create awareness about the neurological and developmental disorder, while also supporting other families going through similar situations. In an interview with ESPN, Smith explained that they’re doing their part by raising money for autistic schools, and he praised his parents for their dedication to caring for Hollie. He also admitted that while there are good days, some days can be extremely challenging.
Interestingly, Smith also revealed that Hollie does not like to see her brothers exchange blows in the ring and will be happy when he decides to retire. However, before any thoughts of retirement, Smith went up against WBC, IBF, and WBO light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in his most recent outing. The Englishman put forth his best effort in the 12-round contest, but Beterbiev emerged victorious with a seventh-round knockout.
This loss marks Callum Smith’s second defeat in title fights. Previously, he lost the WBA and The Ring super-middleweight titles against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2020. Despite these setbacks, Smith has never lost a non-title fight in his professional boxing career.
