Showdown: Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith struggle in Canada on Saturday night time
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Callum Smith bids to change into a unified light-heavyweight world champion as he takes on Artur Beterbiev in a hugely-anticipated bout in Canada this weekend.
The Liverpudlian was WBA champion at super-middleweight till he misplaced that belt when crushed on factors by Canelo Alvarez in December 2020, with Smith then making the choice to maneuver as much as 175lbs.
He has fought simply twice in three years since that defeat to Canelo, choosing up routine stoppage wins over Lenin Castillo and Mathieu Bauderlique, and he now faces a giant step up towards the unbeaten Beterbiev, one of the feared punchers in boxing.
The 38-year-old is 19-0 as an expert, with all these wins coming inside the gap, and he was final in motion a yr in the past when beating Anthony Yarde in London to defend his WBC, IBF, and WBO straps.
Yarde did trigger him issues although, earlier than his nook threw within the towel within the eighth spherical, whereas fellow Briton Callum Johnson dropped Beterbiev throughout an action-packed 4 rounds in 2018.
This struggle was scheduled to happen in August final yr, but it surely was pushed again after Beterbiev underwent surgical procedure to deal with a bone an infection in his jaw.
Smith's solely defeat has come to Canelo and his crew are assured they will stun an ageing Beterbiev, with the winner of this struggle doubtlessly then shifting on to an undisputed showdown with Dmitry Bivol.
Artur Beterbiev beat Anthony Yarde in an exhilarating struggle final yr
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Beterbiev vs Smith takes place on Saturday January 13, 2024 on the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.
The undercard is predicted to get underway at roughly 12am GMT, with the ring walks for the principle occasion pencilled in for round 4am on Sunday morning.
As ever, these timings are all approximate and topic to vary.
Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith
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TV channel: In the UK, the cardboard might be televised reside on Sky Sports Main Event and Arena, with protection starting at 1am GMT within the early hours of Sunday morning.
Live stream: Subscribers may also catch the motion reside on-line by way of the Sky Go app.
Smith at all times appeared tight at 168lbs and the transfer as much as light-heavyweight seems to be a great one for him, although it is a world away from his earlier two fights on the weight.
There are questions for Beterbiev to reply although - he was critically examined by Yarde and it has inevitably been instructed that he's slowing down. He turns 39 later this month and has loads of miles on the clock, with greater than 300 fights to his title should you embrace his novice profession.
Beterbiev is actually not defensively flawless both and he'll go away himself open to be hit, as Yarde and Johnson have proven, so it's no shock that Smith and his crew consider they are going to get alternatives to harm the champion.
Smith has the scale and attain benefit, and might want to set up his jab early to cease Beterbiev marching ahead. He could be up on the playing cards if he can lengthen the struggle past the midway level, however Beterbiev's strain will certainly inform in some unspecified time in the future.
Smith is extremely powerful and is able to hurting his man and threatening an upset, however combating Beterbiev is an exhausting job, with no fighter but capable of clear up the puzzle.
We're going for the champion to ultimately overwhelm Smith after some furry moments, discovering one other stoppage because the bout strikes into the late rounds.
Beterbiev by stoppage, spherical 9.
This is a large step up for Callum Smith at light-heavyweight
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The fighters will take to the scales on Friday - test again in then for the outcomes!
Beterbiev to win by determination/technical determination: 5/1
Beterbiev to win by KO, TKO or DQ: 2/5
Smith to win by determination/technical determination: 8/1
Smith to win by KO, TKO or DQ: 6/1
Odds by way of Betfair (topic to vary).
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