I'm confident in my own power: Callum Smith on his light heavyweight fight against Artur Beterbiev
May 31, 2023
Quebec [Canada], May 31 : The former WBA super-middleweight champion Callum Smith believes he has the power to knock out unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. The two light heavyweights are set to fight on August 19 in Quebec City in Canada, as reported by Sky Sports.
Smith takes on Beterbiev for the WBS, IBF and WBO championships. The Liverpool native will travel to Beterbiev's adopted hometown of Quebec City for the fight.
Although no one has been able to defeat Beterbiev, Smith believes that he can stop the champion. "I believe I knock him out. I'm confident in my own power," Smith was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"That doesn't mean I think it's an easy fight. I think it's a very tough fight whilst it lasts but I just think he has been hurt and if I see other people hurt him then I definitely believe I can too,"
"I'm very meticulous in what I do, and I'll be prepared for the toughest 12-rounds of my career, whether we need them or not, we'll have to wait and see but the goal is to go over there, beat him, take his three belts and return home," the Liverpool native added.
Smith also stated his intentions of becoming a two-weight champion in the sport. "I've become a world champion but I want to be a two-weight world champion. I think as a fighter you always want more, and I worked hard to get into this position. I've finally got my chance to achieve my dream and it's a fight I'm excited about and a chance I plan on taking."
Beterbiev is still undefeated in his professional boxing carrier, with all his 19 fights ending in stoppages. While Smith suffered his only professional loss at the hands of the current undisputed 168-pound champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez back in 2020.
"I believe on my day when I'm at my best, I can beat anyone in the world and I do believe I'm at my best at the moment," he concluded.
After his loss to Alvarez (at Super middleweight), Smith moved up to the 175-pound division and has picked up two stoppage victories over Gilbert Castillo and Mathieu Bauderlique in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Beterbiev last fought in January where he stopped Brit Anthony Yarde in eight rounds in a fight-of-the-year contest.
