Artur Beterbiev had surgery on his jaw Sunday, so his August 19 battle versus Brit Callum Smith is postponed.
The WBC/WBO/IBF light heavyweight world champion was to meet former super middleweight world champion Smith at Videotron Centre in Quebec City.
NOPEA release referenced a “infection to Beterbiev’s jaw,” no details on how that condition arose.
This clash is promoted by Eye of the Tiger and Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing.
Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), a Russian born Montreal resident, is boxing’s only world champ with a 100 percent knockout ratio.
He does have rough luck in scheduling fights though.
Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) is the WBC’s mandatory challenger.
He won two bouts by stoppage after badly losing his 2020 title unification fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.