The “aging” Beterbiev destroyed Smith. And this is the crisis before Bivol?
Sergey Sorokin January 14, 2024, 11:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The Russian responded to all the criticism that managed to rush after the Yard.
On the night of January 13 to 14, a great evening of boxing took place in Quebec (Canada) at the Videotron Center stadium. In its main event the undefeated Russian knockout artist with a Canadian passport Artur Beterbiev and the British Callum Smith faced each other. Many had real concerns about the champion’s status. And all because the fight with Anthony Yarde left questions. Then Beterbiev suffered significant damage and didn’t look so convincing. But Arthur himself came to the ring to silence all the critics.
The fight with Smith was very convincing. From the beginning, Arthur completely took the initiative and began to methodically defeat his opponent. Perhaps only the second round could go into Callum’s piggy bank, which was reflected in the marks of two of the three judges. But in the remaining three minutes Beterbiev led to a total declassification. But Smith is much younger: he is only 33 years old. Arthur, at 33, didn’t seem any slower than his counterpart. Moreover, with each round the situation became more comfortable and comfortable for the Russians.
Beterbiev’s knockout power hasn’t gone away either. From the first three minutes, the Russian literally began to bombard his opponent with attacks. And very quickly, a colossal amount of damage began to appear on Callum’s face. Smith himself responded with attacks of his own, but constantly ran towards the defense. And then Arthur looked like he had just entered the ring. And the British continued to miss him a lot. And the natural result of this was two knockdowns in a row in the seventh round. After this, the referee decided to intervene in the fight and save Callum from being hit.
The most interesting events of the tournament:
Live
Artur Beterbiev – Callum Smith: the Russian champion effortlessly knocked out his opponent! LIVE
The Russian seemed several goals stronger and was completely superior to his rival in absolutely everything. Therefore, it was natural to bring the matter to final victory. And after the fight he said that now he needs the same belt that is in the hands of Dmitry Bivol. Arthur is determined to dot the i’s in his division. And that’s why he was categorical: “Of course I want to fight Bivol. I want to get the fourth belt and finish my work in this weight class. Becoming an absolute champion is a great desire.”
Many tried to warn Beterbiev not to fight Bivol, calling him an old man. But Arthur clearly demonstrated that all these experiences were in vain. He looked no worse than Dmitry, who effortlessly defeated Lyndon Arthur at the end of 2023. Bivol could not finish his fight ahead of schedule, but Beterbiev coped with this task. And perhaps this will only add confidence to the 38-year-old fighter, who has long wanted to remove all doubts in this confrontation.
Let’s analyze the main fight of the night:
Beterbiev makes history! Crushed the tough Brit: now Arthur’s record is 20-0
Beterbiev showed everyone that he had registered as a pensioner too early. He destroyed Smith with confidence and continues down his unique path. Now Arthur’s record is 20-0. He is also the only champion with a perfect knockout percentage. The Russian completed the 20 fights ahead of schedule. But for the sake of a fight with Bivol, Arthur is ready to risk everything.
