Arum Feels Smith-Beterbiev Would Be Megafight At MSG

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum plans at light heavyweight and feels that a potential unification matchup between Joe Smith Jr. and Artur Beterbiev would be a huge one.

Speaking with Keith Idec of Boxingscene, Arum stated that it could sell out the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“If Joe Smith wins and Beterbiev wins, that sets up a huge fight, maybe for Madison Square Garden,” Arum said to BoxingScene.com. “You’d sell out The Garden easy with a Smith-Beterbiev fight. That’d be a great fight. They’re both big punchers, tough guys. It’d be a fun fight.”

Arum: If Joe Smith & Beterbiev Win, Sets Up A Huge Fight That'd Sell Out MSG Easy https://t.co/bIjJGK3WeO pic.twitter.com/RqAhqhC72Q

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) February 2, 2021

Now course killing Arum’s plans is a couple of things that have to happen first.

First, like the rest of the world, the state of New York has to be more open for fans to attend once the pandemic subsides. That currently, as of this writing, will take a while the state waits for more vaccines.

“The entirety of our week seven allocation was delivered to providers yesterday, and already New York has administered 90 percent of its first doses while prioritizing fairness and equity. Week after week we exhaust our vaccine supply and are basically left waiting for the next week’s delivery,” Governor Cuomo said on the state’s webpage providing an update Monday.

The state mentioned that is alarming is that they have given out roughly about 90 percent of the little over 1.5 million doses they were given. However, 7.1 million are eligible to receive the vaccine. That problem is across all 50 of the United States.

The second problem in Arum’s fantasy booking is one that seems will have a quicker resolution.  Smith and Betrbiev have to win their respective fights.

Smith is in action on February 13th against Maxim Vlasov for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on ESPN. Once he is victorious, he’ll have to wait on Betrbiev to take on Adam Denies in March. Both are expected to win these contests, which would set up Arum’s plans to fight in front of people at MSG by then later on in the year.

“Smith has another tough Russian in front of him, in Vlasov, next month,” Arum said. “If he beats him, then a Beterbiev fight with Joe Smith would be a guaranteed sellout at Madison Square Garden. Joe has a lot of fans [from Long Island], and all these union people that support him. And there are a lot of Russian people in New York. And then, as the icing on the cake, you put (Edgar) Berlanga on the undercard.”

I’m all for the potential Smith-Beterbiev card that Arum shapes up, and I’m not New Yorker nor Russian. Time will let this play out down the line if this can become a reality.