Artur Beterbiev: record, next fight and profile →
Eddie Hearn has spent weeks talking about the vivid visions which visited him whenever he closed his eyes. Visions of Callum Smith knocking out Artur Beterbiev with a left hook and returning to England as the new unified light heavyweight champion. Reality set in quickly last Saturday night.
Artur Beterbiev has evidently grown very weary over Dmitry Bivol’s constant proclamations about fighting each other. The Russian light heavyweight champions could finally be nearing an agreement to put their respective titles on the line for the undisputed 175-pound championship later this year.
Eddie Hearn remains confident in Dmitry Bivol’s ability to defeat Artur Beterbiev, even after the British promoter watched what he called “a freak of nature” dismantle another fighter his company represents Saturday night.
It’s time. It’s past time. Lineal world light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev retained history’s throne for the fifth time on Saturday, handing former WBA super middleweight titlist Callum Smith his first stoppage loss. At a perfect 20-0, all of them inside the distance, it confirmed what we already knew.
Another highly anticipated undisputed championship could be headed for the Middle East. Immediately after Artur Beterbiev, the unified WBO, WBC, and IBF light heavyweight champion, demolished challenger Callum Smith in seven rounds on Saturday night at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Beterbiev’s promoter, Bob Arum, indicated that a potential full unification bout between his charge and Dmitry Bivol, the WBA titlist, could materialize later this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Callum Smith will take some time to consider his future after having his hopes of becoming a two-weight world champion ruthlessly ended by WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev.
Eddie Hearn isn’t sure whether Callum Smith will want to continue his career after Artur Beterbiev became the first fighter to knock him out Saturday night.
Artur Beterbiev made sure to give Callum Smith some semblance of consolation after he punished the latter for seven rounds. Beterbiev successfully defended his WBO, WBC, and IBF 175-pound titles last Saturday night against England’s Smith at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada, dropping Smith twice en route to forcing a stoppage in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-round bout.
A dejected Callum Smith wasn’t trying to diminish Artur Beterbiev’s impressive victory. Smith fully credited the Russian knockout artist for his complete performance Saturday night, which led to the first knockout defeat of Smith’s 11-year, 31-fight professional career at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. Up until the point when Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) knocked Smith to the canvas twice during the seventh round, however, the former WBA super middleweight champion didn’t believe Beterbiev’s vaunted power was something he couldn’t handle.
Quebec, Canada - For the WBC, WBO, IBF light heavyweight titles, Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) continued the knockout train with a stoppage of Callum Smith (29-2, 21 KOs) in seven rounds.