Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. | Sky Sports - 18 June 2022

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[Gnome]

Decent fight! Nice to see Kurt Walker is getting a run out too.

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Press Release

Three belts and light heavyweight supremacy will be at stake when WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev meets WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. in a highly anticipated unification showdown Saturday, June 18, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Beterbiev, boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout rate, hopes to pick up another strap against “Cinderella Man” Smith, a Long Island native who grew up about 70 miles from Madison Square Garden.

In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez will battle the unbeaten Abraham “El Super” Nova. Beterbiev-Smith and Ramirez-Nova will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, tickets starting at $56 go on sale Friday, May 6 at 12 p.m. ET, and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com.

“Beterbiev versus Smith is one of the very best fights that can be made in boxing, two huge punchers fighting at Madison Square Garden in what will be an electric atmosphere. Whoever comes out on top will be the true king of the light heavyweight division,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Robeisy Ramirez has developed into a sensational pro, and he will have his hands full against a tough, undefeated kid in Abraham Nova. The winner will be in line to fight for a featherweight world title."

"I am thrilled we were able to put this sensational championship unification fight together,” said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing. “The top two punchers in boxing fighting each other for their three world titles. It has been brewing for a long time and is a potential fight of the year. Joe Smith Jr. is proud of his humble background and hard-working union 'Common Man' moniker, but he is also truly special and a real champ. He could have chosen an easier path, but he wanted the best and toughest out there, the guy everyone is afraid to fight. Credit to both champions, each fighting the toughest, hardest-punching and most dangerous foe the division has. I can't wait to see this fight!"

Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs), a two-time Russian Olympian, has spent his nine-year pro career based in Montreal, Canada. He has been a world champion since knocking out Enrico Koelling for the IBF strap in November 2017. He's won five title fights inside the distance since then, including an off-the-deck victory over Callum Johnson and a title unification classic versus Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019. Beterbiev went 2-0 in 2021, capping the year with December’s brutal ninth-round stoppage over longtime contender Marcus Browne.

“I look forward to the challenge ahead of me. Joe Smith Jr. is a worthy champion, but I am coming to Madison Square Garden to add another world title to my collection,” Beterbiev said. “This fight will get me one step closer to becoming undisputed champion.”

Smith (28-3, 22 KOs) earned mainstream recognition with his 2016 knockout of living legend Bernard Hopkins and scored standout wins over Jesse Hart and Eleider Alvarez in 2020. In his second world title attempt, he outlasted Maxim Vlasov in a 2021 Fight of the Year Contender. Smith successfully defend his world title in January with a ninth-round stoppage over late replacement Steve Geffrard.

Smith said, "I am extremely excited and focused on this task I have ahead. Facing Beterbiev is huge. It is going to be a fight that fans remember forever, with two of the biggest punches in boxing today facing off. This opportunity is a dream of mine to accomplish. Fighting with three titles on the line is one step closer to becoming undisputed."

Ramirez (9-1, 5 KOs) has been on a sterling run since a shocking loss in his August 2019 professional debut. An Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, Ramirez is coming off one-sided victories over the unbeaten Orlando Gonzalez and Irish veteran Eric Donovan. Nova (21-0, 15 KOs), who spent much of his career at junior lightweight, has been flawless since moving up to the featherweight ranks. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Albany, New York, Nova knocked out William Encarnacion in eight rounds on the Smith-Geffrard undercard in January.

Ramirez said, “I have always wanted to display my talent on a stage as important as the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City. Come June 18, I will not only take advantage of this big opportunity, but I will also hand Nova the first loss of his career. I’m going to take a big leap in my quest to become world champion, and above all, showcase my class and give boxing fans another great performance. I will make clear that ‘El Tren’ is a true powerhouse in the featherweight division.”

Nova said, “Robeisy is a great talent, and he’s the fighter that will get me to that next level. I need a statement victory. Beating a two-time gold medalist puts me right in the title picture. The better the competition, the better I look. Nobody has seen the best of me yet, and I will show that on June 18.”

The undercard, which will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+, is scheduled to feature many of the sport’s rising superstars. In six-round bouts, Brooklyn-born featherweight puncher Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (3-0, 2 KOs) and Long Island welterweight Jahi Tucker (7-0, 4 KOs) hope to extend their unbeaten records. U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (5-0, 3 KOs), fresh off his knockout win on the Oscar Valdez-Shakur Stevenson undercard, returns in a six-round middleweight bout. Featherweight Kurt Walker (2-0, 1 KO) and junior middleweight Kieran Molloy (1-0, 1 KO), both of whom starred for the Irish national team as amateurs, will make their respective U.S. debuts.

[margaret thatcher]

ramirez vs nova is a good one too, cant f@cking wait for this

[mickey1975]

Bad isn't it that this can't fill msg?

[maverick23]

Bad isn't it that this can't fill msg?

New York is a difficult market nowadays. People have so much choice and clearly boxing isn’t as popular as it once was there. They struggled to sell out the Hulu for Lopez/Kambosos and Lopez is from New York and had his last fight watched by more than 4m people.

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Bad isn't it that this can't fill msg?

New York is a difficult market nowadays. People have so much choice and clearly boxing isn’t as popular as it once was there. They struggled to sell out the Hulu for Lopez/Kambosos and Lopez is from New York and had his last fight watched by more than 4m people.

It sure is.. Hardly have any big fights take place in MSG, and i've noticed less at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn too.

The money is all in Vegas,

Noticed recently, a lot of boxers fighting at home too, or closer to home.

Spence, Davis, Charlo's

[maverick23]

Bad isn't it that this can't fill msg?

New York is a difficult market nowadays. People have so much choice and clearly boxing isn’t as popular as it once was there. They struggled to sell out the Hulu for Lopez/Kambosos and Lopez is from New York and had his last fight watched by more than 4m people.

It sure is.. Hardly have any big fights take place in MSG, and i've noticed less at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn too.

The money is all in Vegas,

Noticed recently, a lot of boxers fighting at home too, or closer to home.

Spence, Davis, Charlo's

Yeah - there are areas that really get behind their fighters. Texas being one as we’ve seen with Canelo and Spence. Whilst you can sell loads of tickets in those areas, it’s often difficult to charge big amounts for them like they do in Vegas.

Sports fans have unbelievable choice in the states. NFL, Hockey, Baseball (where teams play over 200 games a season), Basketball (where your team could play near 100 games a season), then the college sports which people are super passionate about over there. When there’s so much to do in New York (they have 2 teams of each main sport) it makes it hard for boxing to stand out.

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George Kambosos Jr vs Devin Haney and Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr world title fights are live on Sky Sports in June

Devin Haney's huge undisputed world title fight against George Kambosos Jr and Artur Beterbiev's explosive unification battle with Joe Smith Jr will be shown live on Sky Sports in June.

Kambosos defends his IBF, WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight world titles against WBC title-holder Haney on Saturday, June 4 from Marvel Stadium, Melbourne in a bout expected to break Australia's attendance record of 51,026, which was set by Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn's 2017 fight in Brisbane.

WBC and IBF world champion Beterbiev then takes on WBO champion Smith Jr in a light heavyweight unification clash on Saturday, June 18 in New York, with the winner staking his claim for a showdown with Dmitry Bivol, who sensationally shocked Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at the weekend.

Haney (27-0, 15 knockouts) enters the fight on the back of four straight unanimous decision victories, the latest coming against Joseph Diaz in December.

Kambosos (20-0, 10 knockouts) stunned Teófimo López with a split decision win last November, in which the pair exchanged knockdowns, to springboard his way to the top of the division.

"After five years of chasing championship glory abroad and fighting in enemy territory, I return home to defend what I have conquered in the boxing world, my world lightweight titles," said Kambosos. "Everything I have put my mind to and manifested has come true with my relentless hard work, dedication and discipline to the sport I love.

"I have always said I would become world champion the hard way, fighting abroad and then bring back a mega stadium fight to make my world title defense.

"I am very excited and hungry to continue building my legacy, and I will be victorious by any means necessary on June 4 when Haney steps up into the lion's den of Marvel Stadium against this Aussie Greek lion. I will take not only his belt but put a serious dent in his young career."

Beterbiev remains boxing's only world champion with a 100 per cent knockout rate after extending his record to 17-0 with a ninth-round knockout win over Marcus Browne in December.

He faces "Cinderella Man" Smith (28-3), who stopped Steve Geffrard in the ninth-round of their fight in January to retain the WBO title he had taken from Maxim Vlasov last April.

"Beterbiev versus Smith is one of the very best fights that can be made in boxing, two huge punchers fighting at Madison Square Garden in what will be an electric atmosphere. Whoever comes out on top will be the true king of the light heavyweight division," said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

Watch George Kambosos Jr and Devin Haney fight for undisputed lightweight glory on June 4, followed by Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr's light heavyweight unification bout on June 18 - both live on Sky Sports.

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Here it is!!

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It’s finally fight week!

[Dioufy]

One fight on the undercard???

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One fight on the undercard???

Main Card

Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr, 12 rounds, light heavyweight – Beterbiev’s WBC and IBF title, Smith Jr’s WBO title
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova, 10 rounds, featherweight

Undercard

Bruce Carrington vs. TBA, 6 rounds, featherweight
Jahi Tucker vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweight
Troy Isley vs. TBA, 6 rounds, middleweight
Kurt Walker vs. TBA, 4 rounds, featherweight
Kieran Molloy vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior middleweight


We'll get the opponents this week sometime.

[Dioufy]

One fight on the undercard???

Main Card

Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr, 12 rounds, light heavyweight – Beterbiev’s WBC and IBF title, Smith Jr’s WBO title
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova, 10 rounds, featherweight

Undercard

Bruce Carrington vs. TBA, 6 rounds, featherweight
Jahi Tucker vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweight
Troy Isley vs. TBA, 6 rounds, middleweight
Kurt Walker vs. TBA, 4 rounds, featherweight
Kieran Molloy vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior middleweight


We'll get the opponents this week sometime.

Ah cheers. TBA busy night ahead there!

[Dioufy]

How did Kurt Walker get himself on this card?
3 fights… one at Wembley… one a massive unification… one undisputed fight.

[DrDuke]

In my opinion, the bout is predictable, but still gotta be entertaining. Smith makes fights. Beterbiev delivers pain and destruction. There will be fireworks and, of course, eventually Beterbiev gotta KO Smith.

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Will be 1pm ET and 6pm UK

[Nightmare Roy]

Bad isn't it that this can't fill msg?

If I was.on holiday there I'd definitely go.to this

[handsofstone]

This is gonna be carnage, I can't wait, i give Smith Jr a solid chance, he can whack himself but gotta go with Beterbiev to stop him, the scary bastard that he is

[Dioufy]

Nothing getting in the way of a Bivol/Bet undisputed imo.
Can even imagine Canelo not invoking the rematch if he’s guaranteed the winner.

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[forcefraser]

Yo Smitt (Norwegian commentators pronunciation) is getting smashed up in this one

[brilo33]

Yo Smitt (Norwegian commentators pronunciation) is getting smashed up in this one

what there norwegain for bettersthisbeersoff