Fight Week: Artur Beterbiev, Joe Smith Jr. set for 175-pound title-unification clash

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FIGHT WEEK

Huge punchers Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. will struggle two unify three of the 4 main mild heavyweight titles Saturday in New York.

Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs)

When: Saturday, June 18
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m.. PT (principal occasion later in present)
The place: Hulu Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard, New York
TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Division: Gentle heavyweight (175 kilos)
Rounds: 12
At stake: Beterbiev’s IBF and WBC, and Smith’s WBO titles
Pound-for-pound rating: Beterbiev, No. 13
Odds: Beterbiev 6½-1 favourite (common of a number of retailers)
Additionally on the cardboard: Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova, featherweights
Prediction: Beterbiev KO 10
Background: WBA mild heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol had his second when he turned again the problem of Canelo Alvarez final month. Now it’s the flip of the 2 different 175-pound beltholders to indicate what they’ll do towards one another. Beterbiev has maintained his knockout streak at the same time as his opposition has improved, together with victories over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019 and Marcus Browne this past December. The Canada-based Russian is bodily imposing however, as a former novice star, he additionally is aware of his means across the ring. He isn’t as fast or athletic as some rivals however he’s a superb all-around fighter. Smith is also a giant, highly effective 175-pounder who can finish any struggle with one punch. The Lengthy Island product isn’t a very good boxer however he finds methods to win fights even when he doesn’t rating a knockout, a sign that he has extra capacity than some may assume. Solely Sullivan Barrera (UD) and Bivol (UD) have been in a position to be beat him since 2010. He’s coming off a ninth-round KO of Steve Geffrard in January. He outpointed Maxim Vlasov to win the vacant WBO title the earlier April.