The Russian boxer Artur Beterbiev has scored another great victory after defeating Callum Smith to retain his WBC, IBF and WBO light-heavyweight titles. Beterbiev is now set to fight Dmitry Bivol in a unification bout in Saudi Arabia later this year. Before losing to Artur, Callum’s only loss came against Canelo Alvarez in 2020. Beterbiev is now 20-0 with 20 knockouts, making him one of the most dominating punchers among the boxing world champions.
The champion dominated from the start
Beterbiev started quickly in the first round, pushing Smith against the ropes and delivering a series of hooks. However, the Englishman regained his rhythm in the latter half of the round by landing some effective moves. The opening round went to Beterbiev. During the second round, Beterbiev continued to dominate his opponent, while Smith used a variety of punches to confuse the champion. Smith won this round. In the third round, the Russian-Canadian attacked with his powerful jab, while Smith was able to land some effective shots of his own. Despite the disparity in reach, Beterbiev demonstrated greater success with the jab, slowly breaking down Smith. This way, another round went to Beterbiev.
Smith fought back in fourth round
In the fourth round, Beterbiev took advantage of a strong start and dealt significant damage to Smith midway through the round. Despite being badly injured, Smith demonstrated resilience by fighting back and throwing his shots amid the attack. Beterbiev won the round through his effective work and sustained pressure. In the fifth round, Smith landed a flurry of punches, but Artur maintained a strong defense and found opportunities for counters. Beterbiev demonstrated his defensive skills by preventing his opponent from missing and finding success with short, powerful punches, ultimately taking another round in his favor.
Beterbiev effectively scored the victory
In the sixth round, Beterbiev launched a significant right hand, which Smith absorbed well. His opponent managed to land some strong body shots, yet the champion remained undeterred. Despite Smith having some moments, Beterbiev ultimately took over the round with his dominant strikes and high-volume punches. In the seventh round, Beterbiev began the offensive, eliciting an enthusiastic response from Smith. The champion countered Smith effectively and achieved a significant feat by defeating him for the first time in his career. Taking advantage of the momentum, Beterbiev scored a second knockdown and ultimately finished the fight by finishing the British fighter.
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