World Boxing Super Series: Callum Smith beats Erik Skoglund on points

Skoglund's accurate jab rocked Smith in the fifth round

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.

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.

• Round-by-round: How the fight unfolded

• What is the World Boxing Super Series?

• Usyk wins Super Series cruiserweight opener

The semi-finals will be staged by the close of February 2018, with the overall winner crowned in the final by May

WBA champion Groves will defend his title against Cox at Wembley Arena on 14 October.

Meanwhile, on the undercard at the Echo Arena, four-time world title challenger Martin Murray beat Arman Torosyan from Germany. The St Helens fighter extended his record to 36 wins, four wins and one draw.