Liverpool’s Smith, 31-2 (22 KOs) holds the secondary version of the WBO 175lbs belt, while Morrell – a U.S.-based Cuban boxer – remains his mandatory challenger. The bout was ordered last July, shortly after Morrell rebounded from a loss to David Benavidez with a narrow victory over Imam Khataev via 10-round, split decision in their July 12 thriller in Queens, New York.
