Reported by Charles Brun: Callum Smith has actually been revealed as the necessary opposition for Artur Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight titles. The fight, which was rescheduled for January 13th at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada, will be relayed on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) needed to go through oral surgery, resulting in the post ponement of his title defense against Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) from August 19th to the brand-new date in January.
Due to the nature of Beterbiev’s surgical treatment, the hold-up is easy to understand offered the 38-year-old fighter’s condition.
Once the fight with Callum is over, Beterbiev can set his sights on a prominent match against WBA light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol, which has actually produced substantial interest in the boxing neighborhood.
Callum Smith’s technique: use height and reach
Smith, standing at 6’3″, has the physical benefit of height, however whether he can utilize it successfully stays to be seen, as he has actually not shown those abilities in the past. Maintaining range with his reach will be important for Smith, as he cannot manage to be caught on the ropes and continually assaulted by Beterbiev.
If Smith stops working to keep Beterbiev at bay on January 13th, he will likely be knocked out eventually. His previous battles against Canelo Alvarez and John Ryder showcased his vulnerability when under pressure.
Smith typically crowds his challengers and counts on close-range exchanges, especially targeting the body. While this design is typically reliable, Smith tends to battle against pressure fighters who can neutralize his power, triggering him to pull back to the ropes for protective functions.
In his bouts against Ryder and Canelo, Smith’s efficiency was below average, showing a hesitation to take part in the center of the ring and appearing overmatched. Many fans saw his triumph over Ryder as a break-in, eliminating from his trustworthiness.
Smith is thought about a good competitor, however he deals with criticism for getting chances through tactical matchmaking, preventing more unsafe challengers.
In 2020, Smith dealt with an embarrassing defeat against Canelo Alvarez, losing every round in a one-sided twelve-round consentaneous choice in San Antonio, Texas.
Following his loss, Smith had the possibility to redeem himself against high-level challengers and make another title shot. However, he has actually rather dealt with 2 fairly simple challengers in Lenin Castillo and Mathieu Bauderlique, resulting in criticism that he hasn’t really made this chance.
“I am delighted that Artur Beterbiev will have the possibility to safeguard his titles in front of the enthusiastic Quebec City fans, albeit a couple of months behind prepared,” stated Bob Arum, the head of Top Rank. “Artur remains in fantastic shape, and I anticipate Callum, a very gifted previous champ, to bring his finest on January 13th.”
