One of the first big fights of 2022 will feature Joe Smith Jr. taking on Callum Johnson. Smith (27-3 with 21 knockouts) is the reigning WBO light heavyweight champion after beating Maxim Vlasov for the title last April. Johnson (20-1 with 14 knockouts) suffered his lone loss the last time he challenged for the light heavyweight title, and he is looking to break through this time in order to be crowned champion.
Joe Smith Jr. will defend his recently won WBO light heavyweight belt against Callum Johnson on Saturday, January 15, 2022, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in upstate New York. This broadcast will start at 9:30 p.m. ET with the title fight expecting to kick off at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN.
When: Saturday, January 15, 2022
Where: Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York
Why: WBO light heavyweight title
Joe Smith Jr. vs Callum Johnson Betting Odds
Joe Smith Jr. -365
Callum Johnson +270
Total Rounds 6.5
Smith is a moderate favorite per the boxing betting odds as the current title holder. If you are unfamiliar with betting on boxing, it would take a $365 bet on Smith to win $100 at this price. A $100 wager on Johnson to lift the belt for the first time would return a $270 profit if he were to pull off the upset.
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.
Joe Smith Jr. vs Callum Johnson Preview
Joe Smith Jr. won his first six fights by knockout in the first or second round. He looked to be on the fast track to success, but he was knocked out by Eddie Caminero in his first fight scheduled for more than four rounds. That led to Smith needing to take a few more four-round bouts before he started to move up the ladder once more.
Smith knocked out his opponent in each of his first 11 victories. He needed to go the distance to beat three straight opponents in 2013 though, and his win over Lamont Williams came by split decision. He kept winning though, and he eventually won the WBC International light heavyweight belt with a first round TKO of Andrzej Fonfara in June 2016.
His most impressive win came that December when he beat the legendary Bernard Hopkins by eighth-round TKO. Smith was the first person to stop Hopkins within the distance, and Hopkins finally retired after the result. However, he lost the title with a unanimous decision defeat to Sullivan Barrera in his next bout, and he lost the WBA light heavyweight title to Dmitry Bivol in March 2019.
Smith hasn’t been that dominant in his last three fights. He needed a split decision to beat Jesse Hart, a late-round knockout to get past Eleider Alvarez, and a majority decision to beat Maxim Vlasov for the WBO light heavyweight belt in April.
Callum Johnson hasn’t been as decisive in his career, even though he has a better record than Smith. Johnson has fought 12 of his 21 fights to either four rounds or six rounds, and he didn’t start taking major fights until he was 15-0. He beat Willbeforce Shihepo by ninth-round TKO in September 2016, and he secured a first-round TKO of Frank Buglioni in his next bout.
That led to Johnson taking on Artur Beterbiev for the IBF light heavyweight belt in October 2018. Beterbiev was too strong for Johnson though, knocking out the challenger in the fourth round. That’s nothing to be ashamed of though as Beterbiev is still unbeaten and has successfully defended the belt five times.
Johnson was impressive in his next two fights, making quick work of Sean Monaghan and Emil Markic. However, he needed a majority decision to beat Server Emurlaev in October.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
