You could call Callum Smith a ton of things, but lacking in confidence? That was never a part of his DNA. Fighting Artur Beterbiev might be viewed as the scariest thing in the world at the moment, but Smith knew what he was getting himself into.
The only American television outlet still broadcasting boxing drew respectable ratings for its first telecast of 2024. According to information Nielsen Media Research revealed Wednesday, an average of 691,000 viewers watched Artur Beterbiev beat Callum Smith by seventh-round technical knockout in a main event ESPN aired Saturday night from
If you asked Eddie Hearn and most who resided in the UK, they believed that Callum Smith was the right man for the job. Sure Artur Beterbiev is a dangerous and scary fighter with the type of power that can have you waking up in the emergency room, but Smith’s supporters wouldn’t let up.
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.
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.
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.