Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) held onto his IBF/WBC/WBO mild heavyweight titles with a seventh spherical technical knockout win over Callum Johnson (29-2, 21 KOs) on Saturday night time in Quebec Metropolis.
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/High Rank)
Within the seventh spherical, Beterbiev caught Smith with a crushing proper hand that shook him to his boots, taking his legs away.
Beterbiev jumped on the harm 33-year-old Smith, nailing him with a number of thudding punches to the pinnacle to drop him. Smith, trying badly harm, stayed all the way down to the rely of seven earlier than getting again to his ft.
From the sight of Smith, it was clear that he was not going to have the ability to make it out of the spherical. He might have tried to clinch Beterbiev, however he didn’t choose to do this.
Beterbiev then went for the end, touchdown two extra clear photographs that dropped Smith once more. Buddy McGirt, the coach for Smith, got here into the ring to inform the referee to halt the battle. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:00 of spherical seven.
Bernardo Osuna: “Artur, what did it imply to you to do that tonight within the snow? All these followers got here out to see you.”
Arter Beterbiev: “Once more, due to luck. My coach and my staff are working arduous with me. Perhaps that’s why, too, however I feel it’s due to luck.”
Osuna: “I doubt it’s luck as a result of you have got over 300 novice fights and now 20 wins. What was your technique at this time in opposition to the tall, lengthy Callum Smith?”
Beterbiev: “We had a few methods. Not just one. You need to be ready for a number of methods, and he gave me battle. He stayed sturdy, good. Thanks for him, however at this time, luck is on my facet.”
Osuna: “Effectively, luck and energy clearly. He’s a fighter who had by no means been knocked down as a professional. You probably did it twice on this end. What was the important thing to lastly breaking him down?”
Beterbiev: “I don’t know. This query is for my staff, my coach. They work on me. They know that. I don’t know. I simply comply with them.”
Osuna: “What we do know is Dmitry Bivol holds the one different belt at 175 lbs. Is that the battle that you really want subsequent?”
Beterbiev: “Sure, after all. I want one other fourth belt.”
Osuna: “What would changing into undisputed champion imply to Artur Beterbiev?”
Beterbiev: “It will imply on this class, I’ve carried out work. Undisputed world champion, it means high.”
Osuna: “Effectively, congratulations on the win. Bob [Arum], the query for you is Dmitry Bivol – Artur Beterbiev for undisputed. Is it carried out?”
Bob Arum: “No, it’s not carried out but carried out, however completely, we need to do it. I’ll be speaking to my good friend, His Excellency. I do know he desires to do it, however Ramadan is coming. Ramadan ends someday in the course of April. So, about three months after the tip of Ramadan, we’ll be able to battle Bivol, most likely in Riyadh.”
