Former WBO featherlight heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr. said he felt he was stronger than unified 175-pound champion Artur Beterbiev when they fought two years ago in June 2022. The fight didn’t end well for Smith, as Beterbiev knocked him out in two rounds after knocking him down four times during their clash at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York City.
Smith felt stronger than Beterbiev
Up-to-date Yorker writer Smith says he can’t predict a winner in next month’s fight between Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and WBA champion Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) on October 12 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Smith attributes his loss to Beterbiev to getting caught in the ear with a right punch, being caught by the crowd and the adrenaline that was there from the start. He started quick, trying to land a punch on Beterbiev in the first round and getting knocked down in the final seconds.
Instead of playing it protected, Smith came out quickly in the second round and was knocked down for the second time by Beterbiev. From there, it was more of the same. Smith attacked recklessly and was knocked down by Beterbiev until the referee stopped the fight.
Bivol defeated Smith by unanimous decision in 12 rounds on March 9, 2019, in Verona, Up-to-date York. That fight was also one-sided, but Smith hurt Bivol delayed in the fight, landing a punch after the bell. The scores were 119–109, 119–109, and 118–110.
“Every time we got in the clinch in that compact time, I felt like I was stronger. I didn’t feel like I was being overwhelmed or anything,” Joe Smith told Pro Boxing Fans YouTube channel, talking about his fight with Artur Beterbiev, which took place on June 18, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York.
It didn’t look like Beterbiev was trying to fight and waste energy in the clinch. That may be one reason Smith felt he was stronger than Beterbiev, because he held him tight. Beterbiev was too clever to waste energy by putting a vice-like grip on Smith when they were in the clinch, and he didn’t have to. He dominated the entire two-round fight.
“He hit me with a nice shot right behind the ear. Honestly, I didn’t even feel it. My legs went down and never came back,” Smith said of the first-round injury Beterbiev inflicted on him. “I think he’s got some pretty good power.
“If everything was right and the timing was right, then definitely,” Smith said when asked if he would like a rematch with Beterbiev and Bivol. “Those would definitely be great fights.”
At this stage, it doesn’t look good for Smith to get a rematch with Beterbiev or Bivol. Smith has lost his last two fights and is coming off a one-sided ten-round unanimous decision loss to Gilberto Ramirez on October 7.
There is no clear favorite in the Beterbiev-Bivol fight
“It’s a fight that could go either way,” Smith said of who will win the Beterbeiv vs. Bivol fight on Oct. 12. “Beterbiev has great technique and great power. He’s very precise with where he throws his punches. Same thing with Bivol, but Bivol has that in-and-out movement and a little more agility. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Beterbiev threw his power punches in between Smith’s and caught him multiple times. It looked like Smith was trying to outsmart him, which was the wrong approach to take against a fighter like Beterbiev. Smith did land some power punches on Beterbiev, but it didn’t affect him.
“Both of them are very precise when it comes to their punching and throwing, but I can’t pick a favorite because I think they’re both great. Beterbiev just caught me in the right spot early on, when I wasn’t quite warmed up yet. I think the crowd, the adrenaline and the excitement of the fight just got to me when I got back into the danger zone, where I was still high.
“I think this fight could have gone differently if I had time to recover. We’ll see what happens. I think [Beterbiev vs. Bivol] “It’s going to be an incredible fight,” Smith said of the clash with Beterbiev.
Smith is fooling himself if he believes his fight with Beterbiev would have gone differently had he recovered. He had never been in a fight, he got hit with right hands from the opening bell. It wouldn’t have been so bad for Smith if he hadn’t gone into the fight with Beterbiev looking for a knockout, because that put him in the firing line of his hefty punches.
“Bivol has enough power to stun you, but he’s so busy. He’ll hit you with five or six punches that stun you, and then you’re stunned again. You start to hesitate what to throw because the busier you are, the more he starts hitting you,” Smith said.
Bivol’s combinations have good power, but not the power that Beterbiev has. Bivol is smaller and weaker than Beterbiev, and he doesn’t win by knocking out opponents unless they’re weaker, like his last opponent, Malik Zinad. This guy shouldn’t fight for a world title with Bivol and should never get the chance.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
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