Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. Press Conference, Preview & Weigh-in Video

Power vs. Power: Beterbiev vs. Smith Top Rank ESPN Madison Square Garden Preview

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

New York, NY (June 18th, 2022)–  Top Rank and ESPN will present an exciting eight-bout card of professional boxing at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring the scheduled 12-round light heavyweight world title unification bout between World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation World champion Artur Beterbiev and World Boxing Organisation World Light Heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr., on Saturday evening, June 18, 2022.

 Beterbiev, 17-0 with 17 knockouts, Montreal, Canada, by way of Khasavyurt, Russian Federation, is the favorite over the hard hitting Smith, 28-3 with 22 knockouts, Long Island, New York.

 Beterbiev versus Smith will be a highly technical bout, if not ended by power shots. In March 2019 at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York, Smith won only one round on one scorecard against 20-0 World Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol of Kyrgyzstan, who outpointed Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May 2022 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Behind on points in October 2019, Beterbiev ended the career of the then 17-0 World Boxing Council World Light Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Philadelphia by dropping him three times in the tenth round. Enrico Koelling, made it to the 12^th and final round against Bivol, and Koelling went down to the canvas twice in the 12^th round and did not make it out.

 In August 2010 in Brooklyn, Smith was stopped in the fourth round by 7-9 journeyman super middleweight Eddie Caminero, a loser of his last six bouts, and nine on his last eleven bouts.  In July 2017 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, Smith was outpointed by Cuban Sullivan Barrera, with Barrera coming off the canvas in the first round to win seven of the remaining nine rounds on the scorecards. Barrera was stopped by Bivol in the 12^th round at Madison Square Garden in March 2018 in a world title challenge, winning only one round on the scorecards in the process.

 To win, Smith has to knock Bivol out. In August 2020, Smith stopped Eleider Alvarez, who knocked out Sergey Kovalev to win the International Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation World Light Heavyweight titles in August 2018 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Smith has also outpointed Jesse Hart. Beterbiev, like Bivol, is a world champion in the super category. Beterbiev is seeking to defeat Smith and earn a shot at unifying the 175 pounds title against Bivol. Smith will roughly have nine rounds to get Beterbiev out.  Elsewise, Beterbiev, who got Gvozdyk out in the tenth round, the same Gvozdyk who got Adonis Stevenson out in the eleventh round, will seek to finish Smith in the final three championship rounds between rounds ten and twelve.

 If the bout goes to the scorecards, Beterbiev will win at least seven or eight of these hard hitting power shot rounds. The key to predicting the outcome of this bout has to do with the pace. If Smith winds up in survival mode, then Beterbiev will win almost every round after round three. If Smith can get to Beterbiev early, he could stop him or knock him out. Both fighters are likely to throw caution into the wind in this bout, a silent sleep candidate for 2022 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year, depending on how it plays. Preparations will be the key. While this bout may not be of major public interest, it certainly will be an ESPN winner, and it is a major opportunity bout for Smith to prove himself. Smith does not need this bout, and Smith is certainly fighting up.

 It seems clear, whatever the outcome of this bout, only one combatant will be left standing. However, you never know. It could be a closer bout than predicted if both fighters have done the work. For Smith to knock Beterbiev out, Smith has to prove it. This outcome is possible, though unlikely given the records and outcomes of both fighters. The Pandemic period is a unique one for boxing, and this is definitely a great matchup on paper. Bivol had the technical fight plan to outpoint Alvarez. Smith will require one hell of a technical fight plan to defeat Beterbiev over 12 rounds, and this bout will be living hell for both fighters if it winds up going the distance. Knockdowns could affect scoring, and Beterbiev isd favored by decision or late round stoppage. Smith is favored by knockout if he can take Beterbiev out. Thus far Beterbiev’s Chin has proven rock solid, and Beterbiev is in his fighting prime. Smith will be in the house.

 Beterbiev is not going anywhere. Smith is the Rocky Balboa in this bout, and the Russians are coming. Beterbiev may not be loved as a Russian, but the Ukraine versus Russian conflict bears no relevance. Wladimir Klitschko felt Dmitrii Bivol should not have been allowed to fight Canelo. Bivol’s Kyrgyzstan origin is that of a Russian national, remaining within the Russian sphere of influence. Beterbiev is Russian. The boxing world cannot prejudice against Russian fighters already competing in the West solely because they are Russian. Tell that to the Joe versus Max Schmeling rematch crowd at Yankee Stadium in June 1938. Schmeling was never a Nazi, and supported Louis financially in later years when Louis was down on his luck. At Yankee Stadium, Louis was allowed to get away with every illegal kidney punch. The mindset of the judges could affect scoring, however the Russian factor does not seem to have figured into Beterbiev versus Smith at present.

 Madison Square Garden Undercard Predictions

 Robeisy Ramirez Draw 10 Abraham Nova, Featherweights

21-0 David McWaters prospect Nova and Cuban Ramirez go head to head.

 Wendy Tousssaint Win 8 Asinia Byfield, Super Welterweights

13-1 Haitian Toussaint favored over 15-4-1 Byfield of UK, winner of one of last five bouts

 Bruce Carrington Win 6 Adrian Leyva, Featherweights

3-0 Brooklyn prospect ‘Shushu’ Carrington favored over disappointing Cuban Leyva

 D’Andre Smith Win 6 Jahi Tucker, Welterweights

11-1 Georgian prospect Smith has experience edge over 7-0 Tucker, Deer Park, New York

 Troy Isley Win 6 Donte Stubbs, Middleweights

5-0 Washington D.C. prospect Isley favored over faded Stubbs, Riverside, California, winless in last five bouts after winning his first five bouts, now 6-5 with one No Contest

 Irish Keane McMahon Win Majority Decision 6 Jahyae Brown, Super Welterweights

7-2 Dublin Ireland prospect McMahon and 10-0 Schenectady prospect Brown have no significant opposition in their careers yet, so this bout could be close and go either way

 Floyd Diaz Win 4 Daniii Platanovschi, Super Bantamweights

4-0 Las Vegas prospect Diaz goes head to head with unknown 4-0 Moldovan Platanovschi. Opening bout on untelevised portion of Madison Square Garden card could go either way.

Not much is known about Platanovschi. Since his arrival in Brooklyn, Platanovschi has won bouts in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Diaz has won two bouts in Las Vegas, and won two bouts in California. The only logic behind this prediction is Diaz has the first name of Floyd, and fights out of Las Vegas, giving him a slight subconscious edge with judges by irrelevant name recognition. Who promotes either fighter? Good question.

CLICK HERE for Photos (Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE for Press VIDEO (Courtesy: Top Rank)

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

    •  Artur Beterbiev 175 vs. Joe Smith Jr. 174.6
(WBC/IBF/WBO Light Heavyweight World Titles — 12 Rounds)

•   Robeisy Ramirez 125.8 lbs vs. Abraham Nova 125.4 lbs 
(Vacant USBA and WBO Global Featherweight Titles — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

   •    Bruce Carrington 127.4 lbs vs. Adrian Leyva 127.4 lbs
(Featherweight— 6 Rounds)

   •    Jahi Tucker 147.8 lbs vs. D’Andre Smith 147.6 lbs
(Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

   •   Floyd Diaz 121.6 lbs vs. Daniil Platonovschi 122 lbs
(Junior Featherweight — 6 Rounds)

   •   Troy Isley 158.6 lbs vs. Donte Stubbs 161.6 lbs
(Middleweight— 6 Rounds)

   •    Wendy Toussaint 152.2 lbs vs. Asinia Byfield 152.8 lbs
(Junior Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•    Jahyae Brown 153.2 lbs vs.  Keane McMahon 152.6 lbs
(Junior Middleweight — 6 Rounds) 

If you’re interested in accessing additional Top Rank imagery available for licensing beyond the photo link above, please go to the following event home pages to license our images:

Event Name: Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. — Weigh-in
Date: Friday, June 17, 2022
Link to Images on Getty: CLICK HERE

Two of the light heavyweight division’s fiercest punchers will put three world title belts at stake in one of the year’s most anticipated showdowns. WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) — boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio — will take on Long Island’s WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs) Saturday evening at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In the highly anticipated 10-round featherweight co-feature, two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (9-1, 5 KOs) steps up against the unbeaten Abraham “El Super” Nova (21-0, 15 KOs). Ramirez has won nine straight bouts since a shocking loss in his pro debut, while Nova has settled in at featherweight after spending the first five-plus years of his career campaigning at junior lightweight

Beterbiev-Smith Jr. and Ramirez-Nova will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m PT) and includes the return of featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (3-0, 2 KO), the latest standout to come from Brownsville, Brooklyn. Carrington made his pro debut on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard last October, signed with Top Rank later that year, and has won two fights thus far in 2022. In March, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, he scored a highlight-reel knockout over Yeuri Andujar.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, a limited number of tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say.

Bob Arum

“At my age, this fight brings me back so many decades to when Top Rank promoted the leading light heavyweights in the world like Bob Foster, Matthew Saad Muhammad, John Conteh, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and Marvin Johnson. The light heavyweight division has given people who follow boxing great thrills for as long as I’ve been promoting fights. Now we have this fight, which will go into the annals like all the great light heavyweight fights of the past and may even be the one that is the greatest.”

“Joe Smith is a tremendous fighter. He has a big heart. He has a lot of skills and a lot of punching power. And what can I say about Artur Beterbiev? He really epitomizes the ferocity that light heavyweights have been known for. Tremendous puncher. Big heart. A guy who refuses to lose. Nothing can be better than this. I predict that this fight will be considered the Fight of the Year for 2022.”

Artur Beterbiev

“This is a very important fight for me. With regard to the place, it’s not different for me. I’m more focused on the fight. I’m more focused on my opponent, not on the place. I always ask my boxing coach and my conditioning coach about how I’m doing. I ask them if it’s less than I was doing two years ago. They tell me that I’m doing better than two years ago.”

“If we compare it to the last one, this camp went very well. This camp was better. I want to thank my team, my conditioning coach, my boxing coach, all my team and all my sparring partners who helped me. We had a good camp.”

“We are both ready for this fight. I think it’s going to be a good fight. We will see. I can’t predict the future. I’m just a boxer.”

Joe Smith Jr.

“This is a huge opportunity. Beterbiev is a huge name in boxing. Everyone knows who he is at this point. He has two world titles, and I want those belts. I believe this fight is going to be great. You’ve got two big punchers, and I’m just excited to be in there with him. He’s a great name.”

“I’m fighting at the Garden. Home is not too far from here. All my fans are going to be here to support me or, if not, watch at home. I’m just glad to be here defending my WBO title and unifying two other belts.”

“I believe this guy is in his prime right now. I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I know he’s here at 100 percent and ready to go. I know I’m here fighting one of the best, so I trained at 110 percent. I made this camp a little longer. I made sure that I improved things that I wasn’t doing at my best. I stayed more consistent with my training, so I feel comfortable about this weekend.”

Robeisy Ramirez

“My level increases with the quality of opponent that I have in front of me. So, I think my growth is due to me increasing the level of my opposition and because we’ve been increasing our work, both mentally and physically.”

“We decided to take this fight because it would lead to a title shot. We all know who Abraham is. We all know the kind of record he has. So, a victory would put us one step away from fighting for a title. This was the step we wanted to take and the fight we were looking for. We weren’t looking to make a fight that wasn’t this one.”

“We didn’t make any adjustments. We did the kind of training camp that we would do for any other fight. At the end of the day, he is an opponent who has two arms and will be boxing. So, we just have to be prepared physically and go out there and work.”

Abraham Nova

“I’ve been trying to fight for a world title at 130, but I haven’t gotten the opportunity. I felt like there was a lot of political things going on. So, I decided to go down to 126 and see if I could make a run. I wanted the {Emanuel} Navarrete fight, but I guess he didn’t want the fight, so Robeisy was next in line. I feel like a win over him puts me in line for a title shot.”

“I feel like I’m being overlooked. People haven’t seen the best of me. In fights, I do this and I do that, but I always fix them. You guys are going to see a complete ‘Supernova’ on Saturday night. I promise that.”

“It’s always business as usual. In training camp, I did a lot of adjustments. He’s a lefty. I’m a righty. So, I had to get lefty sparring partners. I had different sparring partners every week. We have a great game plan, and I’m ready to execute it on Saturday night.”

Bruce Carrington

“It feels great to once again be fighting in this historic arena. I’m highly blessed to have back-to-back fights in my hometown as well. This is a great experience for me, and I’m ready to tackle this head-on. As a fighter, you should always get better than your last fight, so giving my folks and fans something new to see is definitely something I plan on doing this Saturday.”

Saturday, June 18

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr., 12 rounds, WBC/IBF/WBO Light Heavyweight World Titles

Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova, 10 rounds, Vacant USBA & WBO Global Featherweight Titles

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bruce Carrington vs. Adrian Leyva, 6 rounds, featherweight

Jahi Tucker vs. D’Andre Smith, 6 rounds, welterweight

Floyd Diaz vs. Daniil Platonovschi, 6/4 rounds, junior featherweight

Troy Isley vs. Donte Stubbs, 6 rounds, middleweight

Kieran Molloy vs. Jonathan Ryan Burrs, 4 rounds, junior middleweight

Wendy Toussaint vs. Asinia Byfield, 8 rounds, junior middleweight

Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon, 6 rounds, junior middleweight