Now campaigning at 175lbs after losing his belt to Canelo Alvarez in December 2020, Smith is once again setting his sights high. With his next fight still unconfirmed, the Liverpool man can afford to enjoy the sport from afar and he’ll be watching his old rival try to upset Jacobs on Saturday night, live on DAZN.  

Throughout 2021, Jacobs was consistently linked to a move up to light-heavyweight, and if successful against Ryder, it’s a leap that the Brooklyn fighter might still make this year. Smith is an admirer of the former middleweight champion and believes that if he can turn up against Ryder looking good, then he should have too much for him. 

“Depending on which Jacobs shows up, you’d probably have to say that he’s the favourite in this one,” said Smith when speaking exclusively with DAZN.

“When he fought [Gabriel] Rosado in his last fight, Jacobs was nowhere his best and that’s where you can give Ryder a chance. Have they looked at that version of him and maybe think he’s on the way down?

"If he is then it’ll make for a good fight, but if it was just an off night and Jacobs has put it right with his old trainer, Andre Rozier, he should be too good. 

“John is very good at closing the distance. That’s what I noticed straight away. He can shut space down really quick and get close to you. That’s the thing that I took from my fight with him, but you do start to figure him out as the fight goes on.

"If Jacobs can do that early, then I think it’ll be his fight. He's definitely the best fighter but it’s just whether he’s at his best or not.”