By: Sean Crose
Artur Beterbiev 17-0 brought his WBC and IBF light heavyweight belts to seventh when he faced Joe Smith 26-3, who also holds the WBO heavyweight belt. The scheduled round 12 dropped at the Theater in Madison Square Garden and was broadcast live by ESPN.
Beterbiev, who had stopped all of his opponents earlier in the distance, was able to land early while Smith jabbed a powerful jab that annoyed the Canadian multi-belt. With that in mind, it looks like Smith wants to move his head. Smith came down from a slip near the last minute of the inning. A forehand hit that brought the New Yorker to his knees right before the bell. Smith stood up quickly.
Beterbiev kills at the second, his hits pointlessly beating Smith. He dropped Smith, who had never been dropped before, less than a minute into the inning. Beterbiev then hit him on the ropes before the midpoint of the chapter. A series of final shots sent Smith wobbling, prompting the referee to intelligently pause proceedings. Beterbiev currently holds three of the four major world titles in light heavyweight. One remaining belt belongs to the conqueror Canleo Alvarez Dmitry Bivol. An undisputed divisional throwdown could be in everyone’s future.
