By Allan Fox: Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) made short work of #7 WBO contender Isidro Ranoni Prieto (26-2-3, 22 KOs) in stopping him in the 1st round to win the vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title on Friday night at the Lac Leamy Casino in Gastineau, Quebec.
Beterbiev dropped Prieto twice in the 1st round. The fight was halted by referee Michael Griffin after the second knockdown of the round. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:44 of the round.
With the victory, Beterbiev holds onto his WBA NABA 175lb title. He also stays in position to fight the winner of the Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev rematch if it takes place.
Prieto, 30, came out fast in in the 1st round in shooting hard jabs at Beterbiev, and showing some nice hand speed. The 6’0 ½” Prieto had the height and reach advantage over the 5’11 ½” Beterbiev, and he was trying to use it. However, Beterbiev nailed Prieto with a huge right hand to the head that put him down hard seconds into the fight.
Prieto got back up off the canvas, but he was badly hurt. When the action resumed, Beterbiev calmly jabbed at Prieto and showed little interest in finishing him right away. However, moments later, Beterbiev staggered Prieto with a hard right hand to the head that had him almost falling down. Beterbiev continued to take his time and not get anxious after hurting him again. Just when it looked like Prieto was going to make it out of the round without going down again, Beterbiev nailed him with a short hook to the head that caused Prieto to back up against the ropes in distress. Beterbiev then nailed Prieto with a right hand followed by a left hook that put him down on the canvas in the corner. Referee Michael Griffin then stepped and stopped the contest. Prieto got up but his legs were gone, and he was badly hurt.
Prieto’s left eye was quite swollen up, as if he’d been in a long fight rather than one that had lasted just one round for him.
Beterbiev, 31, sent a big message to the top fighters in the light heavyweight division that he’s a force to be reckoned with. This was Beterbiev’s 11th consecutive knockout win since turning pro in 2013 after twice fighting in the Olympics for his home country of Russia. Right now, Beterbiev would have to be seen as a major threat to both Ward and Kovalev. You can throw WBC champion Adonis Stevenson and WBA belt holder Nathan Cleverly in that mix as well.
Beterbiev looks dangerous for any of them, especially Ward, who’s main style of fighting now is to grapple on the inside. That inside fighting is not going to work for Ward against a guy like Beterbiev, because he loves to fight on the inside, because he’s so good at generating huge power with his short punches. It’s hard to believe how much power that Beterbiev was getting tonight with his short shots to the head of Prieto at close range.
All the hurtful shots that Beterbiev landed in the fight tonight were thrown at close range. Andre Ward would be in trouble against a fighter like Beterbiev unless he could somehow on the move and keep Beterbiev from getting on the inside. I think that would be impossible for Ward, because his main style of fighting has always on the inside. The only time he stays on the outside is when he’s facing a limited fighter that doesn’t belong in the ring with him like Paul Smith and the 39-year-old Alexander Brand.
Prieto, 30, used the wrong approach to the Beterbiev fight tonight. Instead of Prieto boxing Beterbiev and using his jab like a smart fighter, he tried to punch with him, and he paid a heavy price by getting countered with a right hand. Beterbiev waited until right when Prieto was letting a right hand go before he unleashed his own right. The shot hit Prieto full force, knocking him down on his back on the canvas. The punch was powerful on its own, but it was made even more powerful by the fact that Prieto didn’t see it coming. He was too dialed in to throwing his own power shots, and he didn’t even think to look at what Beterbiev was throwing at him. Prieto might have gotten carried away with his success in landing his jabs initially. He was clearly the much faster guy when it came to his hand speed. Prieto showed very good hand speed for a light heavyweight. I would dare to guess that Prieto has better hand speed than Andre Ward does, because he was very fast. Never the less, the saying goes that ‘timing beats speed’ and that’s what Beterbiev had going for him tonight. He timed Prieto when he would throw his fast shots. Beterbiev was there to hit him with big shots while Prieto was in the process of throwing one of his own.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Beterbiev does against the winner of the Ward-Kovalev fight. I honestly don’t think Ward will ever take the fight with Beterbiev. I don’t think so. I see Ward vacating his titles in order to avoid that fight if he gets past Kovalev a second time. Beterbiev is all wrong for Ward. It would be like George Foreman facing Joe Frazier.
Beterbiev’s inside game would be a huge nightmare for Ward, and there’s no way that he could avoid, because at this point in his career, it’s all he has going for him. Ward can’t fight on the outside well enough to beat guys like Beterbiev or Kovalev. Ward has to take it to the inside to try and wrestle, and land short punches to the body. Beterbiev is so incredibly dangerous with the short punches that he throws from in close. He’s also very powerful, and you can’t wrestle and maul him the way that Ward likes to do with his opponents.
Other Results on tonight’s Beterbiev vs. Prieto card:
Danyk Croteau KO1 Alex Ebanks
Vislan Dalkhaev W8 Salvador Hernandez
Louisbert Altidor KO6 Alvaro Enriquez
Vanessa Lepage Joanisse TKO3 Maria Jose Velis