The great Artur Beterbiev will look to unify the light heavyweight division when he takes on Joe Smith Jr. on Father’s Day weekend in the Big Apple. Beterbiev (17-0 with 17 knockouts) has been one of the most exciting fighters due to his power, but Smith (28-3 with 22 knockouts) is no slouch. The winner might be in line for a full unification fight against Dmitry Bivol that would be must-see television.
Beterbiev and Smith are going to meet in one of the most anticipated fights of the summer. They will headline a card that will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ on Saturday, June 18, 2022, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
When: Saturday, June 18, 2022
Where: Hulu Theater, New York City, New York
Why: WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight titles
Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr. Betting Odds
Artur Beterbiev -875
Joe Smith Jr. +535
It’s not surprising to see Beterbiev installed as a heavy favorite per the boxing betting odds. If you are unfamiliar with betting on boxing, you would need to bet $875 on Beterbiev to win $100 at these odds. Meanwhile, if you are keen to bet on Smith at +535, a $100 wager would return a $535 profit.
As the fight nears, there will be decision betting too. You will be able to bet on whether the fight is decided by KO, TKO, or decision, and you can bet on which boxer will win the fight in that fashion as well.
Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr. Preview
Although he never medaled at the Olympics, Artur Beterbiev was an extremely decorated amateur boxer. Beterbiev was a two-time European champion at light heavyweight and claimed the light heavyweight belt at the 2009 World Championships. He was 28 years old when he had his first professional bout in 2013 after moving from Dagestan to Canada.
Beterbiev didn’t need long to showcase that he was the real deal. He finished his first eight opponents inside of four rounds, and he continued his knockout spree when he was facing opponents in minor title fights. The closest that Beterbiev came to having a fight go the distance was in November 2017 when he needed all 12 rounds to beat Enrico Kolling for the IBF light heavyweight belt.
After beating Kolling in his first title shot, he soundly thumped Callum Johnson and Radivoje Kalajdzic in his initial title defenses. Beterbiev then faced Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the WBC light heavyweight belt and claimed that strap too. In his last two fights, he knocked out Adam Deines in the 10th round last March, and he knocked out Marcus Browne in the 9th round in December.
Joe Smith Jr. suffered a setback early in his professional career. Smith lost his seventh career fight, and that stalled his ascent up the ranks. He ended up not getting a minor title shot until his 23rd fight when he bested Andrzej Fonfara in the first round to win the WBC International light heavyweight belt.
Unfortunately, success was short lived for Smith. He was heralded as a potential star after knocking out the legendary Bernard Hopkins late in Hopkins’ career, but he proceeded to lose to Sullivan Barrera in his next bout. Smith was unable to beat Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight belt a short time later, and he needed a split decision victory to get past Jesse Hart.
We saw Smith claim the WBO light heavyweight belt when he won a majority decision over Maxim Vlasov last April, and he defended that belt against Steve Geffrard in January.
Smith has the edge in the tale of the tape. Both fighters are 6’0 tall, but Smith has a three-inch edge when it comes to reach. He will likely try to use that to keep Beterbiev at bay and avoid his power.
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