[Boxing- USA] 18.6/ 23:00 A.Beterbiev- J.Smith

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[Boxing- USA] 18.6/ 23:00 A.Beterbiev- J.Smith

Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KO) is one of the most feared punchers in the sport, having knocked out every man he has stepped into the ring with as a professional. He won the vacant IBF title in November 2017 with a knockout win of Enrico Kolling. Kolling nearly became the first man to take Beterbiev to the scorecards, but the relentless pressure of Beterbiev eventually caught up as he scored the knockout with just 27 seconds left in the fight.

Three fights later, Beterbiev added the WBC belt to his collection with a stoppage of Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a highly-anticipated fight that saw Beterbiev methodically break down an elite light heavyweight. He has twice defended his unified titles since the stoppage win over Gvozdyk.

Smith can punch and punch hard. Given he's a talented fighter with serious power, he's a very live underdog at +500. That said, Beterbiev is a fantastic fighter and a level above Smith. Smith needs to find some way to keep Beterbiev off of him and have space to let his rangy power punches go. That's a big ask, however, as Beterbiev is outstanding at closing distance, getting inside and mauling with work to both the body and head.

That approach to fights is how Beterbiev has been so successful. He forces opponents to fight on the inside, where he has the edge, and he breaks them down until they simply don't have anything left. Smith is tough enough to survive for a while but not for a full 12 rounds.

under 8,5 rounds @1,85 Bet365