Beterbiev blows away Smith in two rounds to unify 3 light heavyweight titles

Ramirez impresses, scores big KO of Nova in co-feature

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NEW YORK — Artur Beterbiev was like a machine. Like a truck going downhill with no brakes. Like a wrecking ball smashing into a building.

He simply ran over Joe Smith Jr., knocking him down three times in a blistering second-round knockout victory to unify three light heavyweight titles in the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event on Saturday night before 4,537 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

“I want to be a good boxer one day maybe, that’s why today was a little bit better than the past, I hope,” a humble Beterbiev said.

Most expected a two-way action fight between big punchers, but it was mostly one-way violence as Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) maintained his perfect knockout percentage as the only undefeated current champion to win all of his fights by knockout.

Smith, who looked much bigger than Beterbiev after rehydrating, nonetheless could not keep him off of him. Nor could he get much of a lift from the crowd, which chanted “Joe Smith! Joe Smith!” at the start of the fight.

Please read my full ringside story for Big Fight Weekend here: https://bigfightweekend.com/news/artur-beterbiev-destroys-joe-smith-saturday-night/

Ramirez blasts out Nova

Featherweight Robeisy Ramirez, the two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist, made his biggest statement as a professional as he brutally knocked out Abraham Nova in the co-feature.

It was an action fight with both men landing, but it was the southpaw Ramirez’s left hand that did most of the damage.

Please read the rest of my story on Ramirez-Nova and the entire undercard on Big Fight Weekend here: https://bigfightweekend.com/news/robeisy-ramirez-drills-nova-in-beterbiev-smith-co-feature/

Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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