Eddie Hearn expects Callum Smith to catch Artur Beterbiev with the type of left hook that will finally leave the hard-hitting Russian on the wrong end of a knockout Saturday night.

The British promoter remembers how hurt the unbeaten IBF/WBC/WBO light heavyweight champion appeared when England’s Callum Johnson belted Beterbiev with a left hook that dropped him five years ago in Chicago. Beterbiev stumbled into the ropes once he got up from that knockdown with about 1:20 to go in the second round of their October 2018 fight for Beterbiev’s IBF 175-pound crown at DePaul University’s Wintrust Arena.

A resilient Beterbiev eventually recovered from the punishing shot that sent him to the canvas and drilled Johnson with a short right hand that knocked Johnson down and out late in the fourth round of their fan-friendly firefight. Beterbiev beat Johnson on the first card Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing USA promoted in the United States as part of its long-term agreement with DAZN, and he never forgot the vulnerability Beterbiev showed that night.

Hearn, whose company promotes Liverpool’s Smith, recalled the left hook Johnson landed on Beterbiev during an interview released Wednesday on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

“I think, you know, that’s the shot,” Hearn said. “And I think Beterbiev is aggressive, he does make mistakes. You’ve only gotta look at the Callum Johnson fight, which was what, five, six years ago, when [Beterbiev] was even more in his prime than he is now. You know, Callum had him all over the place with that left hook. And I just think Callum Smith, you know, is sharper and smarter and I think he punches harder with that shot. And I do believe he’s gonna win that fight.”

ESPN will broadcast Beterbiev-Smith as the 12-round main event of a doubleheader Saturday night from Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. DraftKings sportsbook has established Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) as more than a 4-1 favorite to beat Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), a former WBA super middleweight champ who will end a 16-month layoff.

Beterbiev, 38, and Smith, 33, were initially scheduled to square off August 19 at Videotron Centre. Their fight for Beterbiev’s belts was delayed nearly five months because Beterbiev suffered an infection in his jaw after a dental procedure last summer.

“I’m going because I’m supporting him, and also I believe he’s gonna win,” Hearn said. “I see him knocking Artur Beterbiev out. It’s a tough task. Beterbiev is a monster, you know, arguably the number one light heavyweight in the world. We think it’s Dmitry Bivol or maybe even Callum Smith. But those three, you know, you’ve got [Anthony] Yarde, you’ve got some great light heavyweights. And it’s doable, it really is. I can see it. You know, every time I think about the fight I can see it. And if he does do it, it’ll be a massive, massive win for a British fighter, and it will take him straight to the undisputed shot against Dmitry Bivol.”

ESPN’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Cameroon’s Christian Mbilli (25-0, 21 KOs), a top-rated super middleweight contender who resides and trains in Montreal, is set to square off against Australia’s Rohan Murdock (27-2, 19 KOs) in the 10-round opener of ESPN’s telecast.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.