Eddie Hearn has mentioned four names as Callum Smith’s potential big-money fights in 2025, ahead of his return to the ring next weekend.

Smith hasn’t boxed since his seventh-round defeat of Artur Beterbiev in their unified airy heavyweight world title fight in January, and many – including Hearn – had doubts whether the Liverpudlian would fight again.

However, this week it was announced that “Mundo” would return for round eight on the undercard Sunny Edwards vs Gal Yafai November 30, and an opponent has not yet been announced.

Hearn stated that once the cobwebs are cleared next week, the former super middleweight world champion will go straight into the substantial fight in 2025.

I speak at Matchroom Boxing YouTube channelSmith’s longtime promoter teased domestic feuds with Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yard and Lyndon Arthur, as well as a clash with Dmitry Bivol.

“He will come back after an eight-round fight, get rid of the cobwebs after the Beterbiev fight and then he will jump straight into action!

“Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yarde, Lyndon Arthur, even Dmitry Bivol.

“Any of these great opportunities at 175 pounds.

“Just one little run next week and then whoever wants.

“I’m excited. Sometimes I feel like I’ve rejoined the stable.

“We have been with Callum since his professional debut, so I am looking forward to his performance in Birmingham and then he will have a substantial fight in 2025.”

The world is back 💥 @callumsmith23

We’re back in the ring in Birmingham ready to get back into the mix 👊 #EdwardsYafai survive @daznboxingNovember 30 pic.twitter.com/Hx5AcVFmXc

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 17, 2024

Smith looked like a disruptive force in the airy heavyweight division before losing to Beterbiev, following two previous fights that saw victories over Lenin Castillo and Mathieu Bauderlique.

His only other loss was against a pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez in 2020and the 34-year-old will no doubt still feel he has enough energy to pull off a substantial win next year.

A German doctor has argued that athletes should not be allowed to box after the age of 40, following Mike Tyson’s penniless fight against Jake Paul earlier this month. “Iron” Mike entered the ring as a professional for the first time since his defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005 on November 15, so he was already 58 years aged.

The fight with 27-year-old Paul went exactly as many viewers expected: “Problem Child” tore apart the former heavyweight champion over the course of eight rounds before getting his hand raised via unanimous decision. Thousands of fans left AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before the fight was over to protest the exhibition, which pitted a juvenile, up-and-coming fighter against a much older and slower opponent.

Although both men emerged from the fight virtually unscathed thanks to the fact that there was no knockout, Professor Walter Wagner called for a ban on people over 40 years of age entering the squared circle for safety reasons. I’m talking to BILDthe doctor said: “As a rule, you should not be allowed into the ring after the age of 40.”

He added: “If you are not able to protect yourself enough in the ring, i.e. defend yourself, it can lead to stern health consequences. And the athlete’s health should be the top priority.”

Tyson was ultimately able to defend himself over the course of the eight-round fight, but he never really looked like winning the fight. The former WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion came out swinging in the first fight, looking to catch up with Paul and finish the job quickly, but nothing landed.

Visibly tired by the third round, Paul calmly began attacking Tyson, defeating the legend of the game 80-72, 79-73, 79.73, even though everything was already said and done. Although Wagner seems to care about the safety of the fighters, his requests will unfortunately go unheeded by many combat sports fans.

This is because some of the greatest fighting champions in the world managed to pick up belts in their weight classes after the age of 40. George Foreman won the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at the age of 45 with a 1994 knockout over Michael Moorer, and Vitali Klitschko still held the WBC belt at the age of 42.

Bernard Hopkins was also still fighting for titles at the age of 51, facing Joe Smith Jr. for the WBC International lightweight heavyweight title in 2016 – although he lost by eighth-round TKO.

Carl Froch has once again attacked Jake Paul and their war of words shows no sign of letting up.

Froch and Paul exchanged words on social media, following the latter’s words victory by unanimous decision over Mike Tyson in Texas last Friday, with “The Cobra” claiming he would defeat the YouTuber in the round.

The former super middleweight world champion believes the fight was designed to ensure a victory for “The Problem Child” and insists he cannot be considered a legitimate professional fighter.

“After the fight with Mike Tyson, he simply showed who he is,” the 47-year-old said on his YouTube channel Froch About the fight.

“He couldn’t do anything about Mike Tyson.

“He talks about [how] he spent time with him.

“He couldn’t do anything with it and Mike Tyson looked like he was fighting according to a script.

“The whole thing is one large joke shop.

“It’s all one large fraud, a large fraud. He’s scamming people, but if people are going to turn it on and watch it and Netflix continues to pay him mega money, then it’s fair game to him, good job.

Listen, Jakey, boy…@jakepaul I’ve been retired for 11 years, I haven’t trained in boxing for over ten years, I’m vintage, gray and out of shape. But I would still give your lady the best night of her life!
I bet she dreams of a real man 💪🏼

Let me know if you still want to wash your cars… https://t.co/28d0REUKrE

— Carl Froch MBE (@Carl_Froch) November 17, 2024

“I admire you in this respect because you know how to make money.

“But let’s not forget that you’re just a professional willing to take p***.

“I saw you dancing on TikTok, joking and you’re not a professional boxer.

“You never, ever will.”

Froch has been out of the ring since he knocked out George Groves in a rematch at Wembley Stadium in 2014.

Paul secured his 11th career victory against the 58-year-old Tyson, apparently attracting 60 million viewers on streaming giant Netflix.

Replying to the Nottingham man on X, the 27-year-old replied: “F***ing loser.

“Shut the fuck up.

“I have done more in 4 years than you have done in your entire life.

“This is the first and last time I’m responding to your broke, salty ass.

Let me know if you want to wash my cars.