One of the domestic rivals Callum Smith defeated during his WBA super middleweight championship reign feels Smith is about to pull off an upset on Saturday night.
John Ryder told talkSPORT.com during a featured interview on his website on Tuesday that he believes Smith will defeat favorite Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev in their light heavyweight title fight.
Montreal-based Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) has knocked out every professional opponent he has faced since making his professional debut in June 2013. Liverpool’s Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) also won his two light heavyweight titles. knockout fights since he suffered his only loss: a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Canelo Alvarez in their fight for the WBA and WBC 168-pound championships in December 2020 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Beterbiev, 38, and Smith, 33, will fight for Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC and WBO 175-pound crowns in a 12-round main event that ESPN will broadcast from the Videotron Center in Quebec City, Canada.
“I think it’s a great fight for Callum,” Ryder told talkSPORT.com, “especially with Beterbiev injured and the fight postponed.” “I think it’s a good sign.”
Beterbiev, who will turn 39 on January 21, has fought just once since June 2022 and will end an 11-and-a-half month layoff when he faces Smith. The undefeated champion has not fought since he stopped another Brit, Anthony Yarde (24-3, 23 KOs), in the eighth round of their 12-round fight on January 28 at the OVO Arena Wembley in London.
Smith was supposed to fight Beterbiev on August 19 at Videotron Center. Their 12-round, 175-pound championship clash was postponed in late July because Beterbiev developed a jaw infection following a dental procedure over the summer.
“Is age getting the best of Beterbiev now?” Ryder asked. “Is the time right for Callum? I know Callum is going to her backyard to fight and rightly so. If you want to fight a champion, what better way to do it than in her backyard? I have high hopes for Callum in this fight. I believe he will emerge victorious.”
Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) lost a debatable 12-round unanimous decision to Smith in November 2019 at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
The southpaw from London, who lost a unanimous decision to Alvarez on May 6 at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, is scheduled to return to the ring on January 27. DAZN will broadcast Ryder’s fight against undefeated Mexican super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) from the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
ESPN’s coverage of the Beterbiev-Smith doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET. Montreal’s Christian Mbilli (25-0, 21 KOs), who fought for France at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will open the network’s broadcast in a 10-round super middleweight bout against Australia’s Rohan Murdock (27-2, 19 KOs). KO).
Keith Idec is a writer and senior columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be contacted on Twitter @Idecboxing.
