We are a little under a month away from seeing the unified WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev taking on Callum Smith in Montreal, which will occur on April 19th, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and broadcast worldwide by ESPN.
The promoter of Beterbiev's opponent, Eddie Hearn, believes Smith will win as he had made some bold claims in a recent interview. Hearn even went as far as to predict that Smith will be not just the first man to beat Beterbiev, but the first one to stop him.
“Callum Smith is [going to] knock Beterbiev spark out," said Eddie Hearn recently to Fight Hub TV. “He’s definitely slipping, he’s 39-years-old.”
One must assume that Hearn's confidence comes from Beterbiev's last performance in which he showed some possible signs of decline in a bout against Anthony Yarde. Given his past performance in which he looked vulnerable at times, combined with approaching his fortieth birthday, Hearn is liking his chances. Hearn is so confident he has stated the outcome he believes that will happen.
"One punch knockout,” proclaimed Hearn. “[Beterbiev is going to] be up against the ropes, Beterbiev is gonna come [as] he does, he’s gonna square up his feet and Callum is gonna do what he does best which is [counter] with the left hook."
As Hearn will not be the lead promoter for this bout, as Beterbiev's promoter, Top Rank, which is run by Bob Arum, won the purse bid, but Hearn believes the three world title belts will be leaving with Smith on this occasion.
"I think Callum Smith is going to knock Beterbiev out," Hearn doubled down on. "I feel you have a tremendous fighter in Beterbiev, that is showing chinks in the armor, he is 39 [years-old]. Callum Smith is a huge puncher at light heavyweight. [Smith] was so weight drained at 168 [lbs], and if he hits him on the chin with a left hook he will knock him clean out.
