Bombs away.

That’s the expectation heading into this one and, really, what else can it be? Two fighters with big knockout numbers and come forward styles isn’t going to result in Leonard-Benitez. There are nights for the sweet science.

This isn’t one.

The skills employed will be in pursuit of violence. If this one makes it the distance, it might be the biggest upset of 2022. Who can take more? Who can land more viciously? Those are the questions to ask as we prepare to see three light heavyweight belts unified on Saturday night (ESPN, 10 PM EST).

The reigning lineal king, IBF/WBC titlist Artur Beterbiev, has yet to lose or go the distance. Smith makes his second defense of the WBO belt with only one stoppage loss on his record way back in 2010. Smith has been outboxed. He hasn’t been outfought in years. 

Someone is going to have a bad night. It probably won’t be the fans.

Let’s get into it. 

Stats and Stakes

Artur Beterbiev

Age: 37

Titles: IBF Light Heavyweight (2017-Present, 5 Defenses); Lineal/TBRB/WBC Light Heavyweight (2019-Present, 2 Defenses)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’11 ½  

Weight: 175 lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Khasavyurt, Russia

Record: 17-0, 17 KO

Record in Major Title Fights: 6-0, 6 KO

Last Five Opponents: 101-3-1 (.967)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Tavoris Cloud KO2; Gabriel Campillo KO4; Oleksandr Gvozdyk TKO10; Marcus Browne KO9

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

Vs.

Joe Smith Jr.  

Age: 32

Current Title: WBO Light Heavyweight (2021-Present, 1 Defense)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 6’0   

Weight: 174 ½ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Long Island, New York

Record: 28-3, 22 KO, 1 KOBY

Press Rankings: #2 (TBRB), #3 (Ring, BoxRec), #4 (ESPN) 

Record in Major Title Fights: 2-1 (1 KO) 

Last Five Opponents: 129-8 (.942)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Andrzej Fonfara TKO1; Sullivan Barrera L10; Dmitry Bivol L12; Jesse Hart SD10; Eleider Alvarez TKO9

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Bernard Hopkins KO8

The Pick: On paper, Beterbiev is the better, more polished fighter with a much deeper amateur pedigree. There’s something else on paper that jumps out. Beterbiev is closer to forty than he is to 30 and against a big puncher that could be an issue. While he has relatively few pro rounds, Beterbiev has years of amautuer battles and sparring rounds behind him. Legs can betray aging men. 

Beterbiev showed in his last outing against Marcus Browne that he’s still a physical terror, and displayed grit in working through a cut there as well. Still, Callum Johnson and Jeff Page both had the Russian down and Smith brings more thunder than either.

What Smith might not have is as much quickness as either of those two had in the moments where they caught Beterbiev. Smith grinds forward but often punches wide. Beterbiev has the edge in hand speed and his punches are more compact. There is also the psychology of this fight. Beterbiev fought without much respect for Page or Johnson. This is a fight where the power of Smith is known and has to be respected before the bell rings. That’s likely to result in a more responsible defensive approach.

Beterbiev was at his best on his biggest night to date, battering the very good Oleksandr Gvozdyk. This is Beterbiev’s highest profile fight since and the safe bet is for the older man to elevate his game to the moment. Smith will bring the fight and Beterbiev will find lots of openings because of it. The pick is Beterbiev by stoppage.      

Rold Picks 2022: 28-6

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com