Artur Beterbiev puts his WBC and IBF light-heavyweight titles on the line, while Joe Smith Jr. defends his WBO title on June 18. Inside Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, one man will be one step closer to calling himself an undisputed champion.
Beterbiev made his pro debut in 2013 and won the WBA-NABA light-heavyweight title in 2014. In 2017, Beterbiev won the IBF light-heavyweight title against Enrico Kolling. Beterbiev has defended that title five times.
In 2019, Beterbiev beat Oleksandr Gvozdyk to win the WBC light-heavyweight title. In his last fight, Beterbiev beat Marcus Browne to retain the titles. He also held onto his undefeated knockout-to-win ratio.
Smith made his pro debut in 2009. To start his career, Smith won 11 fights via knockout. After losing his first bout in 2010, Smith went on a 17-fight win streak. He beat Bernard Hopkins in 2017 in what would be Hopkins' last fight. Smith lost to Dmitry Bivol in 2019 for the WBA light-heavyweight title. Following that, he has won four in a row. He beat Maxim Vlasov for the WBO light-heavyweight title in 2021.
In his last bout in January, Smith beat Steve Geffrard via TKO to retain the title.
The Sporting News is here to give some insight on how to bet on this light-heavyweight showdown.
Betting odds for Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.
According to Vegas Insider, Beterbiev is the massive -700 favorite. Smith is the +400 underdog.
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Beterbiev is the -1385 favorite while Smith is the +536 underdog.
Betting trends for Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.
Betting trends for Beterbiev vs. Smith have not been released yet. Stay tuned, as The Sporting News will be providing more information as time goes on.
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Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. prediction
Do the odds really tell the story of the fight between two of the top light-heavyweights today? After all, Smith was the +305 underdog in his fight against Jesse Hart and the +180 underdog against Eleider Alvarez.
Smith ranks nearly at the bottom with a +/- rating of +-1.6. He averages 25.1% shots connected, and his opponents land 26.7% of their shots. Beterbiev ranks 27th among active fighters with a +/- rating of +8.6. He connects with 29.7% shots while his opponents are landing 21.1%.
Beterbiev’s 100% knockout-to-win ratio also helps his cause. The Russian has deadly power that can cripple anyone who may get in his way.
Artur Beterbiev stops Marcus Browne to earn his 17th knockout in 17 pro fights.
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) December 18, 2021
He remains the only world champion with a 100% KO rate 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6mGHtrBAxg
When it comes to those knockout shots, Beterviev averages 18.8 shots per round while throwing 63.4. Smith is a bit behind on that, averaging 13.2 shots per round while throwing 52.6. The latter’s total connect percentage is 34.4%, while Beterbiev's is 36.9.
Per PunchStat, Beterbiev landed 117 shots against Browne, showing a 26.5% connect rate. 95 of those shots were power punches. Out of 159 (a 28.4% connect rate) of his blows against Adam Deines, 125 of them were power punches, and 34 of those shots were jabs. Against Bivol, Smith landed 39 total punches (9.9% connect rate). When he beat Vlasov for the title, Smith landed 226 shots, a 25.5% connect rate. 52 of those shots were jabs.
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It could be said that Beterbiev has been tested a bit more recently. Smith's rise to the top after the loss against Bivol cannot be denied, however. Can “The Beast from the East” overcome Beterbiev’s vicious blows? Smith will have a three-inch reach advantage, and while both are the same height, Beterbiev has been known to attack right through his opponent. It won’t be an easy night for Smith.
Are you taking a huge gamble by picking Smith over Beterbiev? Perhaps. But this is boxing, where anything is possible and numbers can get thrown out the window.
In this case, however, Beterbiev may just end up being too much for the Long Islander. There is a chance Smith will be another victim of Beterbiev’s power.
Sporting News prediction: Beterbiev via TKO (round eight)
When is Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.?
- Date: Saturday, June 18
- Start time: 6 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
- Main event: 11:30 p.m. ET (approximately)
Beterbiev vs. Smith takes place on June 18. The prelim fights will start at 6 p.m. ET. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET and Beterbiev and Smith should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET. That depends on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.?
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TV channel: ESPN+, Sky Sports
The Beterbiev vs. Smith main card will air on ESPN+.
In the U.K., you can watch the fight on Sky Sports.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. price: How much does the card cost?
You can pay $6.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $69.99.
| Product | Overall Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $6.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $69.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. fight card
- Artur Beterbiev (c) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (c) for the WBC, IBF, and WBO light-heavyweight titles
- Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova; Featherweights
- Wendy Toussaint vs. Asina Byfield; Super-Welterweights
- Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon; Super-Welterweights