Bring on Dmitry Bivol.
Artur Beterbiev destroyed overmatched Joe Smith Jr. on Saturday night at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, putting the Long Islander down three times before stopping him the second round.
That’s 18 knockouts in 18 fights for the Montreal-based Russian.
As a result Beterbiev now holds three of the four major light heavyweight titles, the IBF and WBC versions he had when the 37-year-old entered the ring at MSG and now Smith’s WBO belt.
Beterbiev landed the knockdown in the closing seconds of round one 😳 #BeterbievSmith pic.twitter.com/j32b6DUnog
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) June 19, 2022
The owner of the fourth title? Bivol, who defeated Canelo Alvarez last month. That’s who Beterbiev wants next, although he didn’t say that directly.
“I’ve had two unification fights,” he said. “Unification fights are more interesting, more motivating. I prefer to unify. … I want to be undisputed.”
The fight was billed appropriately as a fight between two power punchers. However, the difference in the fight was Beterbiev’s ability.
The two-time Olympian was able to land his power shots almost from the beginning while Smith mostly punched wildly in an effort to withstand the storm.
Beterbiev scored the first of his two knockdowns in the final seconds of the opening round, an overhand right to the side of the head that put Smith onto one knee. That was the beginning of the end for him.
Beterbiev forced Smith onto one knee again with another right about halfway through Round 2 and then scored his final knockdown when a right-left combination knocked an overwhelmed Smith into the ropes.
Smith continued to fight back – evidently hoping a right hand could turn the tide – but two uppercuts in the final minute hurt Smith, who stumbled away from Beterbiev.
Referee Harvey Dock took about a half second to wave off the fight at that moment. Smith obviously couldn’t go on.
Beterbiev, who unified his first two titles by stopping Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019, is now 7-0 in 175-pound world title fights.
He was asked to express his feelings about adding a third belt to his growing collection.
“I need a little bit more time to feel that,” he said in English. “Now I don’t feel because I just get this belt. I need live with this belt a couple of days I understand how I feel.”