Smith beats Skoglund on points

Callum Smith beat Erik Skoglund by a unanimous decision to win a tough World Boxing Super Series quarter-final in his home city of Liverpool.

Despite suffering a bloodied nose in the fifth round, Smith knocked the previously undefeated Swede down in the 11th with a big left hook.

That swung the fight the Briton’s way and officials scored it 116-112, 117-110 and 117-111 to the Liverpudlian.

Smith, 27, is now unbeaten in 23 bouts and is the first semi-finalist.

The Briton is joined in the new competition by compatriots George Groves, Jamie Cox and Chris Eubank Jr.

Smith, trained by Joe Gallagher, passed up a fight with American Anthony Dirrell for the vacant WBC crown in order to take part in the series.

BBC Sports reports that he will next face the winner of the fight between Germany’s Juergen Braehmer and American Rob Brant, who meet on 7 October in Stuttgart.

Also on that card will be Eubank Jr versus unbeaten Turk Avni Yildirim.