Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith: Impressive KO Leaves One Fighter Devastated
Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) extended his knockout streak with a stoppage win over Callum Smith (29-2, 21 KOs) on Saturday night.
The bout headlined a Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger Management co-promotion at the Vidéotron Centre in Québec City, Canada. Viewers in the United States could catch the action on ESPN while Sky Sports Main Event broadcasted the card to those in the United Kingdom. Those in Canada could watch the event as a PPV or with a three-month subscription to Punching Grace.
Artur Beterbiev Blasts Out Smith in Seven
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Artur Beterbiev Stops Smith in Round Seven
Beterbiev started to have success in the first round itself. Smith mainly stayed along the ropes, allowing the Russian-born Canadian to land eye-catching combinations. In round two, neither took risks, respecting each other’s power. The more impactful shots were coming from Beterbiev. By round three, some blood was pouring from Smith’s nose.
The Liverpudlian was visibly stunned in the fourth as Beterbiev began to apply more and more pressure. Swelling started to become visible on the face of Smith. The British fighter had some success against the reigning champion, but it had little impact on the pressure Beterbiev was applying.
In round seven, Smith went to the canvas for the first time in his professional career shortly after the one-minute mark. He beat the count and continued fighting, but not for long. A barrage of punches from Beterbiev sent the former super middleweight champion down again. Although Smith got up, trainer James “Buddy” McGirt stepped into the ring to stop the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:00 of round seven. With the win, Beterbiev now has eight successful world title defences. He retains his WBC, WBO and IBF belts. Attention will now turn towards an undisputed clash with WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
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Post-fight interview
Beterbiev
“It’s because of luck,” said Beterbiev. “It’s my coach, our team is working hard with me, maybe that’s why [I won the fight], too. But I think it’s because of luck.”
“We have a couple of strategies…you need to be prepared for several strategies and he [Smith] gave me a good fight. He stayed strong, he good. Thank you for him. Today, luck is on my side.”
Christian Mbilli Throws the Kitchen Sink at Rohan Murdock in Win
Just prior to the main event, Christian Mbilli (26-0, 22 KOs) threw the kitchen sink at Rohan Murdock (27-3, 19 KOs) en route to a sixth-round stoppage win.
The 10-round super middleweight clash ended when the Australian’s corner indicated they no longer wish to continue at the end of the sixth. From the opening bell, Mbilli threw several hard shots at Murdock, who remained standing. The nature of Mbilli’s style meant that he got hit at times, but those moments of success for Murdock were few and far between.
In the end, Murdock’s corner believed he took way too much punishment and stopped the fight. With the win, Mbilli continues his march towards a world title. Currently, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez is the undisputed super middleweight champion. In his post-fight interview, Mbilli expressed a desire to face Canelo.
“Canelo is the best,” he said. “Everyone knows that Canelo is the best. Now I want to show I’m the best of the division. That’s why my goal is to fight Canelo. I will do everything I can do to fight Canelo.“
Also on the undercard of Beterbiev-Smith, Jason Moloney retained his WBO bantamweight title with a thrilling majority decision over Saul Sanchez.
