Callum Smith directed a piercing gaze towards Artur Beterbiev during their intense final face-off before their upcoming unified light-heavyweight title bout in Canada. The Russian fighter is the strong favorite to retain his World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, and International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight titles, despite facing an opponent in Smith who boasts greater professional experience and a record of 29-1-0.
In September 2013, Callum Smith claimed the English super middleweight title with a first-round knockout of Patrick Mendy in his hometown. Smith’s victory over George Groves secured him the WBA (Super) title. However, he lost that title, along with the vacant WBC title, when he faced Canelo and suffered a unanimous decision defeat. However, Beterbiev has no doubts about his abilities. As he promises the fans an exciting bout, Khamzat Chimaev, the UFC fighter and an old buddy extended his support. Let us find out.
Artur Beterbiev keeps fans guessing
Beterbiev shared their weigh-in pictures on his Instagram account. The champion stood with all his belts in one hand and the other curled up in a fist. This was representative of his determination to protect his titles at all costs. Smith in contrast stands straight, facing away from the camera with his arms by his side. The carousel contains four pictures, the last showing the two facing each other.
Beterbiev captioned the post “The last step has been taken. The most interesting thing is yet to come. This last step is completed. The most interesting is yet to come” keeping fans in anticipation of what might unfold in the fight. Chimaev was quick to respond in the comments. While he might not have any words, an emoji of a 1st position medal spoke volumes about what he expects from his friend. But Smith has other plans.
How confident is Callum Smith?
On the eve of their highly anticipated clash in Quebec City, Callum Smith successfully weighed in at 174.6 pounds. Safe, just a fraction below the light-heavyweight limit of 175 pounds. Artur Beterbiev, defending his WBC, IBF, and WBO titles, met the required weight precisely. One could catch the live broadcast on Sky Sports at 1 am on Sunday morning. Beterbiev has an intimidating record of stopping all 19 previous opponents. This includes notable British fighters, Callum Johnson and Anthony Yarde.
But Beterbiev’s impressive record did not intimidate Smith in the slightest. “I don’t think you’re going to win a fight by intimidating someone at a stare-off, but I’m ready, I always focus on myself and I’m in good shape. I feel good, I feel strong,” said Smith in an interview with Sky Sports. “I’ve always said 175 suits me massively. I’ve had a good camp. I’ve got a great team who do everything correct and I think you’ve seen up there, I’m in good shape.” he added.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Bivol, fresh from a unanimous decision victory over Lydon Arthur, defended his WBA belt last month, and might be the prospective challenger for the winner of the Beterbiev-Smith bout later in the year.
While Beterbiev might be a favorite in the upcoming fight, do you think Smith’s experience will give him an edge? Who do you predict takes all the belts home?
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