By Mark Eisner: IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) picked up his 18th consecutive knockout with a second round TKO win over WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs) on Saturday night in the main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Beterbiev dropped Smith in the first and two times in the second round of this one-sided fight. The contest was halted after Beterbiev staggered Smith with a right hand in the second that causing him to stumble drunkenly across the ring.
Whatever chance Smith had of winning, he threw it out the window by his decision to come out slugging rather than boxing Beterbiev from the distance.
Undercard results:
- In the co-feature bout, two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (10-1, 6 KOs) obliterated previously unbeaten Abraham Nova (21-1, 15 KOs) in the fifth round with a one-punch KO. The 28-year-old Cuban featherweight contender Robeisy landed a big left to the head of Nova that put him flat on his back in the fifth round for the knockout.
- Undefeated featherweight prospect Bruce Carrington (4-0, 3 KOs) beat Adrian Leyva (3-3-1, 1 KO) by a fifth-round corner stoppage due to a cut. The 25-year-old Carrington was in control of the contest the entire way.
- Undefeated welterweight prospect Jahi Tucker (8-0, 5 KOs) defeated D’Andre Smith (10-2, 5 KOs) by a quick fourth-round knockout. Tucker hurt Smith in the fourth, causing the referee to jump in quickly to halt the contest. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:27 of the fourth round.
- Undefeated super bantamweight prospect Floyd Diaz (5-0, 1 KO) outboxed Daniil Platonovschi (4-1, 2 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision. The judges scored it 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55.
- Undefeated middleweight prospect Troy Isley (6-0, 4 KOs) kept his perfect record intact with a 6th-round stoppage victory over Donte Stubbs (6-6, 2 KOs). Stubbs was knocked down twice in the fight, once in round four and a final time in the sixth. The time of the stoppage was at :38.
- Junior middleweight Wendy Toussaint (14-1, 6 KOs) outboxed Asinia Byfield (15-5-1, 7 KOs), beating her by an eight-round unanimous decision over eight rounds. The judges’ scores were 79-73, 79-73, and 79-73.
- Undefeated welterweight prospect Jahyae Brown (11-0, 8 KOs) defeated Keane McMahon (7-3, 4 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision. The scores were 60-54, 58-56, and 58-56.
Preview:
“Is your plan to box from long range and walk him into a right hand? Do you want to push the tank backward, the guy that is always coming forward, backward, what’s the plan?” said Max Kellerman on Max on Boxing in talking to Joe Smith Jr about his plan for his fight tonight against Artur Beterbiev.
Undercard:
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova
Wendy Toussaint vs. Asinia Byfield
Bruce Carrington vs. Adrian Leyva
Jahi Tucker vs. D’Andre Smith
Floyd Diaz vs. Daniil Platonovschi
Troy Isley vs. Donte Stubbs
Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon
“I’m going to figure it out while I’m in there,” said Joe Smith Jr. “I have all kinds of plans in my head, but when I get in there, and I see what’s working, and I’m going to stick to it and get the job done.”
“Is that what you tell the guys interviewing you on TV because you don’t want to give anything away, or is that the truth that you’re not sure how you’re going to fight him and that you have several different ways to go and you have to take his measure in the ring before you decide?” said Kellerman.
“A little of both. We have a plan, and we have a backup plan,” said Smith.
“A lot of times guys like Beterbiev, who constantly come forward against a guy that might fight him in several different ways, the guy that might give ground, who might move and does that too much and the pressure fighter starts to build momentum. How do you stop a guy from getting that momentum and that head of steam” Kellerman said.
“Hey, I’m a big puncher too. I can stand my ground when I need to,” said Smith.
“Joe, you say you embrace the underdog label in this fight. Why do you embrace that?” said Kellerman.
“It’s motivation, and not only that, I work hard, and I don’t mind being called that,” said Smith Jr. “I’m just here to put on a great show for everybody and give the fans what they want to see.”
“Strength of schedule can help Joe Smith in this fight,” said Tim Bradley. “You’ve got to understand the resistance that this man has gone through.
“You mentioned all those great fighters he’s faced. A lot of the time, he wasn’t supposed to come out on top, and he was able to come out on top. There’s no foregone conclusion that Beterbiev is going to win this fight. Trust me,” said Bradley.
Light heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. headline tonight in a unification fight at 175 on ESPN. The action will be shown on ESPN and ESPN+ from madison Square Garden in New York.
In the scintillating co-feature, featherweights Robeisy Ramirez and Abraham Nova do battle for ten rounds in a fight that has the potential of outshining the main event.
