Artur Beterbiev Next Fight Aug 19 With Callum Smith

One of the fan friendliest pugilists is readying to return to the ring. Artur Beterbiev, pound for pound top badass in the game, will face Brit challenger Callum Smith.

Unified light heavyweight titlist Beterbiev, a Russian-Canadian, owns a perfect record, at 19-0 with all wins coming by KO.

The Videotron Centre in Quebec will play host and those gathered will see if the No. 1 WBC contender Callum Smith can break the streak.

The 12-rounds or fewer bout runs on ESPN. Eye of the Tiger, in partnership with Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing, promotes the production.

Here is material from a release sent out by organizers:

Quebec Gets Bigtime Boxing Show

The president of Eye of the Tiger didn’t even blink when deciding where to hold this championship event.

Québec is a sure bet for international events, and is no stranger to high-profile fights, having hosted Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins in 2010, Lucian Bute vs. Glen Johnson in 2011, and Bute vs. James DeGale in 2015.

“This is a momentous event for us, as we’re continually striving to bring big, important fights back to the province.

“We’re thrilled to be able to make this happen with the best boxer in the history of Québec, Artur Beterbiev, who will share the limelight with other EOTTM fighters.

“We hope that boxing fans will attend in droves, and that the evening will mark the beginning of a new era of boxing in Québec,” said Eye of the Tiger president Camille Estephan.

Will the 19-0 Beterbiev, age 38, shoot down the challenge from the skilled Brit Smith?

The August 19 event will be particularly significant for Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), who has not fought in Québec since he defended his North American IBF title in 2015 against Gabriel Campillo.

“Québec is my second home, so I’m very happy to finally defend my titles on home turf”.

Artur Beterbiev Excited To Fight At Home

Since then, the world WBC, IBF and WBO champion has delivered victories in quick succession all over the world, becoming one of the best pound-for-pound boxers anywhere.

None of his adversaries, including Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Marcus Browne, Joe Smith Jr. and Anthony Yarde, managed to overcome the immeasurable strength of the right-hander who has an imposing KO ratio of 100%.

“One of the sport’s hardest hitters, Artur Beterbiev will continue his conquest on August 19 in beautiful Québec City, in a duel that is sure to be memorable,” states Top Rank president Bob Arum.

“Callum Smith has earned his spot as top contender and will not be intimidated by fighting in enemy territory, on Artur’s home turf”.

Artur Beterbiev knows that many fighters would like to dethrone him.

True to the process that has never failed to take him to the top, Marc Ramsay’s protégé has started to prepare for this fight with rigour, discipline and determination.

“When you’re world champion, everyone wants the opportunity to take your belt, and that’s especially true in my case, with three titles at stake.

“I’ve already started my training camp and I’ll be ready to not only defend my belt, but also to put on an impressive show on August 19,” asserts Beterbiev.

Callum Smith smiling. The thought of facing Beterbiev makes the average person frown

Former WBA light-heavyweight world champion Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), age 33,  will be the latest to try to stop the champion in his tracks.

Smith, whose only loss was a unanimous decision against Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, will be the biggest challenge of Beterbiev’s career.

Not only has the Brit shown he can roll with the punches, but he also has the physical advantages of towering at 6’3” and having an enviable reach.

“Having boxed abroad on many occasions, including in Saudi Arabia and the United States, I didn’t hesitate for a second when I was given the opportunity to confront Artur Beterbiev in Québec.

“This is my chance to become world champion of two divisions, and I fully intend to bring the belts home with me to Liverpool,” adds Smith.

The full card for the #BeterbievSmith event will be released at a later date.

We have already confirmed the participation of Christian Mbilli (24-0, 20 KOs), WBC Continental of the Americas super-middleweight champion and current #1 in the WBC World ranking, and of Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Wilkens Mathieu (2-0, 1 KOs) and Leïla Beaudoin (9-1, 1 KO) will also be fighting in their home town for the first time. And finally, Clovis Drolet (13-1, 9 KOs) will be making a comeback on home turf.

Tickets for the August 19 Artur Beterbiev event at Videotron Centre go on sale at 12:00 pm on May 26 on www.ticketmaster.ca.

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