Artur Beterbiev stayed good tonight, knocking out Callum Smith within the seventh spherical to retain his WBC, IBF, and WBO gentle heavyweight titles in Quebec Metropolis.
With the win, Beterbiev improves to 20-0 (20 KO) at age 38, with Smith dropping to 29-2 (21 KO) in defeat.
The official scores on the time of the stoppage have been 58-56, 58-56, and 59-55 for Beterbiev, the previous two arguably a bit beneficiant for Smith.
Dangerous Left Hook had two unofficial playing cards of 60-54 for Beterbiev, who as at all times was doing harm and dictating the overwhelming majority of the battle.
Smith, 33, simply by no means totally obtained into this one, as Beterbiev got here out a bit extra aggressive than normal in spherical one. However Smith did do his greatest to show a authentic problem for Beterbiev, and gave about as high quality an effort as nearly anybody has in opposition to his Terminator-like opponent.
Smith had by no means been dropped in his profession, however went down twice underneath the heavy pictures of Beterbiev, each occasions in what wound up being the ultimate spherical. After the second knockdown, coach Buddy McGirt entered the ring to ensure referee Michael Griffin noticed him, with the intention to cease the battle.
The massive battle at gentle heavyweight clearly stays Beterbiev dealing with WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol, however one among two issues must occur for that to change into a actuality.
Both the WBC must relent on their ruling that Russian fighters can not battle for his or her titles — Bivol and Beterbiev are each Russian, however Beterbiev is a Canadian citizen and is listed with Canada as his nation now — or Beterbiev must be keen to surrender the WBC belt, which might imply Beterbiev vs Bivol wouldn’t be “undisputed,” which shouldn’t be a difficulty as that’s extra a advertising and marketing software than something, and everybody is aware of that’s the battle at 175.
Within the chief help, tremendous middleweight contender Christian Mbilli improved to 26-0 (22 KO) by stopping a recreation however approach over-matched Rohan Murdock after six rounds of one-way motion.
Murdock (27-3, 19 KO) has nothing to be ashamed of right here, as he gave his best possible effort and hung in powerful with a man who was simply lighting him up with arduous pictures the whole battle, and Mbilli can punch. Murdock confirmed an iron chin simply to remain on his ft by this battle, as a result of the motion obtained began sizzling in spherical one.
However the Aussie simply didn’t have close to sufficient solutions for the 28-year-old Mbilli, who was born in Cameroon and fights out of France, together with his profession primarily based in Quebec. The whole sixth spherical noticed Murdock’s coach clutching the towel and able to throw it, just for Mbilli to not land something too substantial till the closing moments, however that was sufficient for them to cease the battle as soon as the spherical was over, and it was the best name.
Mbilli called for a fight with Canelo Alvarez after his win.
Additionally on the undercard, Jason Moloney beat Saul Sanchez in a terrific bantamweight title fight, retaining the WBO belt.
