Beterbiev improves to 20-0 with 20th knockout, stopping Smith to retain light heavyweight titles
QUEBEC CITY (AP) — Artur Beterbiev improved to 20-0 with his 20th knockout, stopping Callum Smith in the seventh round Saturday night to retain the WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles.
Fighting a week before his 39th birthday, the Russian-born Beterbiev hit Smith (29-2) with a hard right, followed by a flurry that sent the English challenger to the canvas. Beterbiev quickly floored Smith again, with trainer Buddy McGirt stepping in to stop the bout with a minute to go the round.
“Smith is a fighter that I respect a lot but in the third or fourth round, I knew I had him and it was only a matter of time,” Beterbiev said.
The fight was pushed back from August to allow Beterbiev to recover from a jaw infection.
Based in Montreal for more than a decade, Beterbiev is boxing's lone champion with a perfect knockout rate. He has made seven successful defenses at 175 pounds.
Beterbiev is working on a deal to fight fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight championship, likely in Saudi Arabia.
“Artur just finished 16 weeks of training and with Ramadan in March, I think he has earned a good rest,” trainer Marc Ramsey said.
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