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Unified Light Heavyweight King Artur Beterbiev To Defend
Crown Against Callum Smith At Videotron Centre In Quebec
City Aug. 19
King Artur and his three world titles are coming home to
Canada.
Montreal resident Artur Beterbiev, the unified WBC/WBO/IBF
light heavyweight world champion, will defend his belts
against WBC No. 1 contender Callum “Mundo” Smith on
Saturday, Aug. 19 at Videotron Centre in Québec City,
Canada.
Promoted by Eye of the Tiger and Top Rank, in association
with Matchroom Boxing, Beterbiev-Smith and a co-feature will
be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10
p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The card will air live and exclusively on
Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.
The August 19 event will be particularly significant for
Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), boxing’s only world champion with
a 100 percent knockout ratio. He has not fought in Québec
City since he defended his IBF North American belt in 2015
against Gabriel Campillo.
“This is a momentous event for us, as we’re continually
striving to bring major 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.
“The legend of the sport’s most fearsome puncher, Artur
Beterbiev, continues August 19 in beautiful Québec City for
a fight that can’t help but be a light heavyweight
championship classic,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
“Callum Smith is a deserving mandatory challenger who won’t
be intimidated fighting on Artur’s home turf.”
“Québec is my second home, so I’m very happy to finally
defend my titles on home turf,” Beterbiev said. “When you
are 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 belts, but to also put
on an impressive show August 19.”
Smith said,“I’m excited to finally get my opportunity to
become a two-weight world champion. I’m no stranger to
fighting on away soil, having boxed in Saudi Arabia twice,
across America, and now heading to Canada on August 19.
There was no hesitation from me going to Canada to fight
Artur Beterbiev, and I will be returning to Liverpool as a
world champion once more.”
Beterbiev, a two-time Olympian, has lived in Montreal since
turning pro a decade ago. He has made seven world title
defenses since toppling Enrico Koelling for the vacant IBF
title in November 2017. Beterbiev picked up the WBC strap
with a stirring 2019 knockout over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, then
added the WBO title to his collection with last year’s
second-round drubbing of Joe Smith Jr. He’s only fought once
in Canada as world champion, a ninth-round TKO over Marcus
Browne in December 2021. Beterbiev followed up the Smith
triumph with January’s thrilling eighth-round stoppage over
Anthony Yarde in Yarde’s hometown of London.
Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) is a former WBA super middleweight
world champion who holds victories over George Groves,
Hassan N’Dam and John Ryder. His championship run came to an
end in December 2019, when he lost a one-sided decision to
pound-for-pound great Canelo Alvarez in a title unification
tilt. Smith moved up to light heavyweight following the
Canelo defeat and notched knockout victories over Gilbert
Castillo Rivera and Mathieu Bauderlique.
The full card for the Beterbiev-Smith event, which will also
feature undefeated super middleweight Christian Mbilli
(24-0, 20 KOs) and heavyweight puncher Simon Kean (23-1, 22
KOs), will be announced shortly. Local talents Wilkens
Mathieu (2-0, 1 KOs), Leïla Beaudoin (9-1, 1 KO) and Clovis
Drolet (13-1, 9 KOs) will also fight in front of their
hometown supporters.
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