By Elliot Worsell
THE good thing about the delay that Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith have had to endure recently is that in the end it doesn’t benefit either of them. It’s not good for Smith, who has fought just twice in three years (logging under six rounds in that time) and it’s not good for Beterbiev either, as he hasn’t fought since beating Anthony Yarde 12 months ago and turns 39. years later. this month. In other words, while no delay is ideal, in the case of Beterbiev and Smith, who will finally meet this Saturday (January 13) in Quebec, at least it’s no more of an obstacle for one fighter than the other.
Ideally, of course, there would have been some delay. Ideally, these two would have met when originally scheduled, back in August, and Beterbiev wouldn’t have suffered a jaw infection that wiped out that date. Furthermore, in an ideal world, these two stellar light heavyweights would have been more active, both recently and in general, and we would therefore have a much better indicator of what they are both capable of this weekend.
As things stand, we possess no such insight or luxury. Instead of going by his recent form, we should judge Beterbiev in the context of Father Time, and what we know he can do when he is at his cruelest, and we should judge Smith in the context of him being an excellent super middleweight who He is now an unproven light heavyweight with only two official fights at that weight to his name. Admittedly, this adds an extra element of mystery to Saturday’s fight, but it still would have been nice to be able to see the undoubtedly good fight as a battle between two burning light heavyweights rather than a battle of two. almost forgotten men who need a victory.
Saying something like that about Beterbiev may seem strange, especially when 12 months ago he stopped Anthony Yarde in London in what was one of the best fights of 2023. However, the disappointment with Beterbiev is solely due to inactivity and the fact that that despite beating Yarde so impressively, there was nothing more to show for that year. This would be disappointing enough if the fighter in question was in his mid-20s and still had plenty of time on his side, but with Beterbiev we are dealing with a man in his not-so-40s whose professional career to date consists of just 19 fights. A professional for 10 and a half years, although Beterbiev turned in relatively late, that number of fights is still not enough given both the length of time he has been a professional and the short time it takes him to finish most of his tasks. .
Artur Beterbiev attacks Anthony Yarde during their light heavyweight fight at Wembley Arena on January 28, 2023 (James Chance/Getty Images)
In fact, that’s where a lot of the frustration comes from. Because Beterbiev, at his best, is a one-man wrecking machine, someone who, as a professional, has so far never heard the final bell and should, again in an ideal world, be the fighter everyone wants to see heading into the final. 2024. He should have a reel as strong as his chest and should compete in fights that elevate him beyond a world champion (currently holder of the WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight belts) towards something closer to a superstar . Far from being a tough sell, with his knockout rate and cold, brooding stare, Beterbiev is everything a fan typically looks for in a boxer, especially these days when power trumps speed and highlights are preferable. to 12 round clinics. It stands to reason, then, that he is bigger and busier and that on his record he has more impressive names (and wins) than Yarde, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Marcus Brown and Joe Smith Jnr.
There have also been opportunities, wasted due to injuries or reputation, which, while a draw for fans, is, on the contrary, a reason for opponents to look the other way in the hope that Beterbiev continues to age. That has clearly been the focus of one or two light heavyweights and even with so-called equals – like, for example, Dmitry Bivol – there has for some reason been an inability to make fights or simply to make sense of them.
Certainly, in light of the fact that they share a weight division, nationality and undefeated records, there can be no excuse for Beterbiev and Bivol not to share a ring. This becomes even more frustrating to consider when you consider how the two have spent the last 18 months wallowing in relative obscurity. A fight at Wembley Arena against Yarde, for example, would not have been Beterbiev’s dream, neither when he turned professional nor at this time last year, nor would Bivol have imagined that beating Canelo Álvarez in May 2022 would have taken him only to a couple of fights in the Middle East, the last of which was against Lyndon Arthur, someone Yarde stopped in four rounds.
The other concern, specifically with Beterbiev, is that time is not favorable once you reach a certain age. Even in his fight with Yarde, which he ultimately won in eight rounds, there were signs that he slowed down, was easier to hit and didn’t locate the trigger as quickly as in fights of yesteryear. One could argue that this allowed Yarde to match him step for step for several rounds and was also what gave him hope when he occasionally hurt the seemingly immovable champion, either with body shots or overhead throws. Frankly, other than when Callum Johnson took him down, quite hard, in 2018, it’s hard to remember a time when Beterbiev looked as vulnerable as he did that night against Yarde. Falling back, and much further than usual, he was never in danger of being stopped, or even of being left behind, but the air of menace was not quite the same. It must be said, Yarde, someone who enjoys hand-to-hand battles, also didn’t think twice about supporting Beterbiev and fighting him in his game. That, of all the surprises that night, was possibly the biggest; perhaps even the biggest indicator that Beterbiev, at almost 39 years old, no longer scares his opponents like he once did.
None of Artur Beterbiev’s 19 opponents have lasted the distance (Getty Images)
Still, it’s worth reminding ourselves at this point that Beterbiev remains undefeated and, power being the last thing left, is as dangerous as any boxer on the planet. Callum Smith, his next opponent, won’t need reminding, but the 33-year-old will no doubt have noted the success Yarde had against Beterbiev around this time last year and will have seen opportunities he can exploit. He will have noticed the slower feet, the load of punches and the couple of moments when Beterbiev seemed dented by Yarde’s work. He will also have seen that Yarde opted to stand and exchange with Beterbiev, hitting when he hit and never giving him space to build momentum, and he will know that this, as a style, is one that Smith is more than familiar with. In fact, it comes quite naturally to him, perhaps even in a way that it didn’t to Yarde.
Also take a look at Smith’s 29-1 record and you’ll find almost as many impressive knockouts, at least aesthetically, as Beterbiev’s. In fact, he has two more in his career (21 to Beterbiev’s 19), but that doesn’t mean he hits as hard as the fearsome Russian. To be fair, few do. Thats the reality. However, at the very least, Smith possesses the ability to wear down an opponent through buildup and turn their lights out, usually with the left hook, in the blink of an eye.
That alone should ensure that Beterbiev can’t simply move forward and set up his shots, without thinking about what’s coming back at him. Like Yarde, he will surely have to be more careful than usual on Saturday and choose his moments to attack, which in turn could give Smith the opportunity to gain a foothold in the fight and achieve something important for himself.
On the other hand, respect goes both ways and I would be remiss not to mention how Smith gave too much respect to Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez when they fought in December 2020. That winter night, with many predictions in advance for Smith to win, the El Liverpool not only surrendered to Álvarez’s aura and the occasion, but, losing widely on points, was barely recognizable; reduced to survival mode from the start and seemingly unwilling to take the risks necessary to change the course of the fight.
There may have been reasons for this (valid, personal), but for now all we can assume, given that Smith subsequently gained weight, is that he felt his days at 168 pounds were numbered and that he had nothing left. However, the true test of both his mettle and his potential at light heavyweight will be against Beterbiev this weekend. Because here, as against Alvarez, Smith will be a loser, a considerable one, and he will be tasked with fighting a man whose reputation precedes him. It will also be held in Quebec, where Beterbiev considers “home” for him, and in a division where Smith, while successful, has yet to meet anyone remotely world-class.
Callum Smith pursues Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez (Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)
Those factors will worry Smith’s supporters. They will know that stopping Gilbert Rivera and Mathieu Bauderlique is not good preparation for a fight against Beterbiev and they will know that there is a possibility that the demons from that Alvarez loss, which was more demoralizing than punishing, could be lingering on Smith’s back . mind. However, they will also know that Smith, who stands 6’3 with a 78-inch reach, has long been considered a super-middleweight extraordinaire – a total outlier – and that most have assumed his best days would eventually come as a light heavyweight, where you can fill out and feel strong. Not only that, they will have seen the success Yarde had against Beterbiev, when he stood by him and instilled respect in his body and mind, and took great confidence from this, knowing that Smith can fight that way as well as anyone if he is full of the same. kind of trust.
Whether he will maintain this trust or not is another question; perhaps the greatest of all. A strong argument can be made that he won’t, based on the fight with Canelo and Beterbiev’s fearsome reputation, and you can also argue that he will, but only until he feels Beterbiev’s power and realizes why his 19 fights. The fights have ended in the distance. In the ring with a lower level man, i.e. one who doesn’t hit as hard, it would be easy to see how Smith’s style and his own firepower could be enough to neutralize someone in the mold of Beterbiev, his speed of hand too. A lot of the exchanges and key body work from him. However, with power always being the last thing to go, and with Beterbiev a rarely seen brand, it’s hard to imagine anything other than the champion coming late to Smith and forcing a corner retreat around the tenth round.
Also at the Center Videotron, there is a fight for the WBO bantamweight title between Australian Jason Moloney, 26-2 (19), and American Saúl Sánchez, 20-2 (12). For Sanchez this will be his first chance at world honors, while for Moloney this fight represents the first defense of a belt he won in May with a 12-round decision against Vincent Astrolabio.
Further down the card, at super middleweight, there is a decent-looking fight between Frenchman Christian Mbilli, 25-0 (21), and Rohan Murdock, 27-2 (19), of Australia. They face each other in 10 rounds.
