Via Robert Segal: Callum Smith is picking IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev as his favorite to beat Anthony Yarde next week on January 28 at the AO Arena in London, England.
Callum notes that 37-year-old Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) is at that age and will lose to someone at some point, possibly against heavy-handed Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs).
Smith says Beterbiev has been eliminated twice in his professional career and he feels that this shows he is not invincible. However, those who defeated Beterbiev Jeff Page Jr and Callum Johnson were unable to defeat him, he promptly got up and knocked them out.
Smith is a mandatory WBC player, and he will face the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Yarde, so he has a vested interest in the fight. Whether Callum gets the shot in 2023 or has to wait until 2024, he’ll get it sooner or later.
Yarde, 31, seems to lack the experience to beat Beterbiev, as he is still learning after eight years of playing professionally. Progress has been slowed mainly because Yarde’s management has performed poorly on his behalf with match-fixing.
“On paper, that’s a huge question, but it comes from someone who wants to fight the winner and the next person will fight the winner,” Callum Smith told Eat Sleep Boxing Repeat regarding Anthony Yarde’s disqualification against IBF, WBC & WBO lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev on January 28 at the AO Arena in London, England.
When Callum gets a chance to fight Beterbiev, he can prove himself just as superior to him as Yarde. The stork-like 6’3″ tall Smith is said to have only fought two quality fighters in his career, John Ryder & Canelo Alvarez, and he’s clearly lost both.
Smith was given a controversial 12th-half decision against Ryder in 2019 in his hometown of Liverpool, but most boxing fans assume he lost that fight.
“Beterbiev on paper, he was an animal, and he took everyone down. He is not invincible. He was booked more than twice as a pro,” Callum said of Beterbiev being eliminated twice in his career. “He is 38 years old now; he won’t go on forever. Someone will beat him at some point. It could be Yarde next weekend. Yarde himself is heavy-handed.
“You have to give him a chance in that fight. As of now, Beterbiev has not shown any signs of age and he performed very well in the previous match against Joe Smith.
“So when you say that, you have to consider him the most popular, but I don’t believe that is a predictable conclusion as some people make it. But he is definitely my favorite.
“No, but I’m a required member of the WBC,” Callum said when asked if he had any contact with him facing the winner. “At the WBC conference, they said that [Beterbiev vs. Yarde] the winner must fight me.
“If you want to do any form of unification, it has to go through me first, but I think the WBC banned the Russians from fighting for the title, which would stipulate the Bivol match. So the winner of that war [Beterbiev-Yarde] have to fight me.
“So I’m in a good position. I hope to fight in the meantime to stay afloat and make sure the best version of me emerges as I battle the winner. It’s a fight that I believe I can win. I believe I can beat anyone in the world.
“I believe I’m the best fighter in the queue and I believe the best time to do that is now,” Smith said.
