Callum Smith Backed To Beat Beterbiev, Bivol Praises Yarde And Much More
Callum Smith has chosen to fight Artur Beterbiev at the right time.
That is according to Smith’s brother, Paul Smith. The duo are set to face each other on August 19th, 2023, from the Centre Videotron, Quebec City.
Beterbiev is seen as the heavy favorite given that he has a 100 percent knockout rate in all of his 19 fights.
In contrast, Smith’s only defeat came at the hands of Canelo Alvarez. However, since that moment, Smith has gone on to improve his career with wins over Gilbert Rivera and Mathieu Bauderlique.
Not only that, but Smith is a lot younger given that he is 33. Meanwhile, Beterbiev is entering into the latter stages of his career at 38.
And age could play a factor, which may have been hinted at during Beterbiev’s last fight. Despite stopping Anthony Yarde, the Brit did have some success in countering the Russian.
And as Smith is known for his left hook which has proven so successful as a counter, his brother has backed him to turn up.
“Listen, Callum is very confident, and we’re very confident, and I know what Beterbiev is. I know what he is more than most. I’ve been around boxing a lot longer than the average person to know what type of fighter he is from the amateur days right through to now.
“He’s a monster, but boxing is all about timing, and we’re all about timing. Kostya Tszyu against Ricky Hatton, two years earlier, that may not have happened.
“I believe, we believe Callum has got a brilliant chance, and we think he’s got Beterbiev at the right time,” Smith
Nevertheless, Beterbiev will prove a huge obstacle. The unified light heavyweight champion is still on course for an undisputed fight with Dmitry Bivol.
Although the WBC has prevented Russian and Belarusian fighters from fighting their title due to the war in Ukraine, there is a feeling that such a bout will happen in the future.
And as Beterbiev has indicated that he wants such a monster-domestic clash, Smith will have to overcome that extra motivation.
And yet, his brother only doubled down on his confidence.
“I’m really, really confident. He’s got to be able to have twelve rounds in him, which he has got. He’s got to be able to weather the storm when it comes, which he can do and has always done in the past, and he’s got to land them shots when he sees an opening, and he’ll see plenty of them openings because they’re there,” Smith
One man who vowed to do the same was Anthony Yarde. However, the Brit ultimately came up short as he was stopped by Beterbiev in the eighth round.
But even with that, the Brit earned the respect of Beterbiev which has now extended to Bivol.
The latter has been linked with a fight against Yarde following the breakdown in talks for a rematch with Canelo Alvarez at 168 lbs.
This was on the basis that Canelo requested a rematch at light heavyweight, as opposed to Bivol who wanted the bout at 168 lbs.
But in order to prepare for an eventual bout with Beterbiev, Yarde would be the perfect opponent for Bivol.
Not only has the Brit faced Beterbiev, but he has also gone up against Sergey Kovalev in Russia, showing that he was not afraid to throw himself into the lion’s den.
And given what he had seen from Yarde, Bivol was impressed.
“I was surprised. Yarde was faster, he used a lot of his jab. His jab was good. He’s a good fighter,” Bivol said
In response, boxing experts have given their take on who would win between Bivol and Beterbiev.
The overwhelming consensus appears to be that Bivol’s boxing skills will get the better of Beterbiev, which is how Tim Bradley saw it.
This was in response to how Beterbiev got hit against Yarde, which would only be compounded by Bivol.
“Bivol is going to win this fight. There’s no doubt. Did you see how many shots he [Beterbiev] got hit tonight? He got hit with a lot of flush combinations, and Bivol can do that all night.
“If they do fight or when they do fight, don’t be surprised if you see Bivol step to Beterbiev because if Yarde can step to Beterbiev, Bivol can step to Beterbiev and he’s going to push him back, and he’s also going to fight him off the back foot. There’s no doubt about it,” Bradley stated
With so many variables out there, the fight cannot come soon enough. And given that boxing has been accused of not putting on the biggest fights due to the politics in boxing, this is one bout that cannot be forgotten.
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