In the Top Rank boxing main event taking place in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on Saturday night live on ESPN, unified WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev , knocked down Callum Smith (29-2, 21 KOs) and scored a seventh-round stoppage.
It was an impressive performance from Artur Beterbiev, who demonstrated a combination of patience and power. Beterbiev took his time, took control of the fight and then when the opportunity presented itself, Beterbiev closed the show.
In the first round of the world light heavyweight unification title fight, the 5-foot-11 Beterbiev immediately closed the distance on the 6-foot-3 Callum Smith. Once Beterbiev came in, he unleashed a flurry of shots.
In the final minute of the first round, Smith was able to move forward and resolve the jab, but Beterbiev closed out the round by landing solid shots to the head and body of his opponent. The highlight of the second round was the big right hand that Beterbiev landed to the body of Callum Smith.
In the third round, Smith kept going and landed a three-punch combination. Artur Beterbiev proceeded to take over the round landing the power jab, body shots and a strong right hand.
At the beginning of the fourth round, the action between the two boxers went back and forth. Suddenly, Smith was in serious danger when Beterbiev landed a flurry of shots. Later in the same round, Smith was able to come back and land a solid uppercut.
Over the next two rounds, Beterbiev continued to control the range and distance. Smith was a game opponent as he tried to compete, but at that point, Beterbiev’s short punches were starting to do significant damage.
With 2:04 left in the seventh round, Beterbiev caught Smith with a big right hand that knocked him off balance. Beterbiev proceeded to land a flurry of shots that sent Callum Smith to the canvas for the first time in his career.
Smith was able to get up, but once again, Beterbiev landed a flurry of shots that sent Smith back to the canvas. Callum Smith’s trainer, Buddy McGirt, entered the ring to get the referee’s attention. Once the referee noticed McGirt, he immediately stopped the contest.
With the victory, Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) is in a prime position to get the fight he has been asking for. Beterbiev is currently the unified light heavyweight champion, but if all goes according to plan, in his next fight he will be fighting for the undisputed crown.
“It’s not done yet, but we want to do it,” said Beterbiev promoter Bob Arum. “I will be speaking with my friend, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. I know he wants to do it, but Ramadan is coming up. “So, about three months after the end of Ramadan, we will be ready to fight Dmitry Bivol, probably in Riyadh.”
Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) is the WBA world light heavyweight champion who defeated Canelo Álvarez in May 2022.
Beterbiev and Bivol have aspirations of being undisputed and very soon we will have the confrontation between the skilled puncher and the ring technician.
