Notebook: Beterbiev-Smith light heavyweight unification bout finalized
Boxing Social appearance; Charlo-Sulecki card details; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr., both big punchers, will meet in a highly-anticipated three-belt light heavyweight title unification fight June 18 (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET) at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
On Wednesday, Top Rank and Star Boxing announced the expected bout that will leave the winner one belt shy — the one at stake in Saturday’s fight between WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol and Canelo Alvarez — of the undisputed 175-pound championship.
“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,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.
WBC/IBF champion Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs), 37, a two-time Russian Olympian based in Montreal, will be making his sixth overall defense and third of the unified belts.
“I look forward to the challenge ahead of me,” Beterbiev said. “Joe Smith Jr. is a worthy champion, but I am coming to Madison Square Garden to add another world title to my collection. This fight will get me one step closer to becoming undisputed champion.”
Smith (28-3, 22 KOs), 32, of from New York’s Long Island, won the vacant WBO title by hard-fought majority decision over Maxim Vlasov in 13 months ago and made his first defense by ninth-round knockout of short-notice replacement opponent Steve Geffrard on Jan. 15.
“I am extremely excited and focused on this task I have ahead,” Smith said. “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.”
Said DeGuardia, Smith’s promoter, “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.”
In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (9-1, 5 KOs), 28, a southpaw fighting out of Gulfport, Florida, will face Abraham Nova (21-0, 15 KOs), 28, of Albany, New York.
“Robeisy Ramirez has developed into a sensational pro, and he will have his hands full against a tough, undefeated kid in Abraham Nova,” Arum said. “The winner will be in line to fight for a featherweight world title.”
The preliminary portion of the card that is only on ESN+ will include several Top Rank prospects: Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (3-0, 2 KOs), Long Island welterweight Jahi Tucker (7-0, 4 KOs), 2020 U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (5-0, 3 KOs) and former Irish national team members Kurt Walker (2-0, 1 KO), a featherweight, and junior middleweight Kieran Molloy (1-0, 1 KO).
Hearn interview
On Wednesday, I had a chance to sit down with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to discuss Saturday night’s Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol fight and several other topics. The full interview will be available on our Friday Big Fight Weekend preview podcast, but here’s a short preview of some of what he had to say about Canelo-Bivol:
Boxing Social appearance
I joined my man Andi Purewal from Boxing Social inside the Canelo-Bivol media center at the MGM Grand to discuss a bunch of boxing topics: a Canelo-Bivol preview, obviously; the fight being DAZN's first PPV; thoughts on Gennadiy Golovkin’s recent win over Ryota Murata and the third Canelo fight if Canelo wins Saturday; a review of Shakur Stevenson’s dominant win over Oscar Valdez and what might be next for him; my reporting on Anthony Joshua’s U.K. broadcast rights; and my thoughts on Tyson Fury’s supposed retirement. Please watch the video here:
Charlo-Sulecki card
Premier Boxing Champions and Showtime kicked off the promotion of WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo’s defense against Maciej Sulecki on June 18 (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET), including an announcement of the two televised undercard fights.
Houston’s Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), 31, will make his fifth defense on the Juneteenth holiday for the second year in a row with a hometown fight at the Toyota Center.
“I’m excited to get back in the ring in front of my people in Houston and put on a great show fighting on Juneteenth weekend once again,” Charlo said. “I’m ready to handle my business and give everyone what they’re coming out to see. Sulecki is a tough fighter who’s going to come in hungry. But I’m fighting for something bigger and I won’t be stopped from delivering a special performance on June 18.”
Sulecki (30-2, 11 KOs), 33, of Poland, who is now being trained in Chicago by for former light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara, has won two in a row since losing his previous title opportunity, a shutout decision to WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade in June 2019.
“Charlo is a great champion and I respect what he can do, but I don’t think he’s any better than the best fighters I’ve faced before,” Sulecki said.. “I think I am the stronger fighter mentally and physically. I don’t think he’s a killer. He hasn’t even been able to stop his last two opponents. I’ve fought as the underdog in my opponent’s hometown, so I’m not worried about fighting in Houston at all. We have a huge community of Polish fans in the U.S. and I know they’ll be there supporting me.”
In the co-feature, junior featherweight contender Ra’eese Aleem (19-0, 12 KOs), 31, of Las Vegas, will face Mike Plania (26-1, 13 KOs), 25, of the Philippines, in a 10-rounder.
Aleem: “The time is now to take that next step in my career toward a world title shot and I know that a win against a tough opponent like Mike Plania will put me in that position. I’m never in a boring fight and you will see the best of me come. I’m going to let my hands fly and do the talking.”
Plania: “Ever since I beat Joshua Greer (in a June 2020 upset) to put myself in the world rankings, I have been looking for an opportunity to fight the best at 122 pounds to secure a world title shot. June 18 is that time and by beating Ra’eese Aleem, I will show everyone I deserve to fight for the title.”
Lightweight up-and-comer Frank Martin (15-0, 11 KOs), 27, of Indianapolis, who trains in Dallas with Derrick James alongside Errol Spence Jr., will fight former world title challenger Ricardo Nunez (23-3, 21 KOs), 28, of Panama, in the 10-round opener. Nunez has won two in a row since a second-round knockout loss challenging Gervonta Davis for a junior lightweight title in 2019.
Martin: “Nunez is a boxer-puncher, so I expect him to mix it up with some fast combinations and to try and throw my movement off, but I’ll be ready for all of that. Fight fans are going to enjoy an action fight with this one. We’ve got the speed, power and athleticism to put on an exciting show.”
Nunez: “I’m coming to fight and impose my style on my opponent. Martin is a good boxer who’s made it to a high level, but he still has to show what he’s made of. I’m going to give 100 percent to stop his rise and be the first person to beat him.”
Quick hits
Jonathan Gonzalez (25-3-1, 14 KOs), 31, a Puerto Rican southpaw, will make his first defense of the WBO junior flyweight title against Mark Anthony Barriga (11-1, 2 KOs), 28, a 2012 Olympian from the Philippines, on June 24 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, promoter Tuto Zabala Jr. of All Star Boxing announced on Wednesday. The card will be streamed by ProBoxTV rather than be shown on Spanish-language network Telemundo, where Zabala has a deal for years. However, for the time being at least, Telemundo is not doing boxing events ramps up its sports app, where it may have boxing in the future. Gonzalez outpointed Elwin Soto to win the 108-pound belt in October 2021. Barriga has won two fights in a row since his only loss, a split decision to Carlos Licona for the vacant IBF strawweight title in 2018.
British cruiserweight contender Richard Riakporhe (14-0, 10 KOs), 32, of England, will face Fabio Turchi (20-1, 14 KOs), 28, an Italian southpaw, on June 11 in the Sky Sports main event at the OVO Arena, Wembley in London, Boxxer announced. The winner will move a step closer to a mandatory shot at IBF titlist Mairis Briedis. “I’m ready to continue my assault on the cruiserweight division,” Riakporhe said. “’The Midnight Train’ is on an unstoppable roll and Turchi is the next man tied to the tracks in front of me. He's a good boxer and I'm expecting a tough fight but nothing I can’t handle. I’m coming out of this one with the win and stepping up into world title contention.”
Show and tell
The late Salvador Sanchez (44-1-1, 32 KOs) was one of the greatest fighters in boxing history and a Mexican legend. He won the WBC featherweight title by 13th-round knockout of fellow Hall of Famer Danny Lopez in 1980 and made nine title defenses before his untimely death in a car accident at age 23, just three weeks after a 15th-round knockout of HOFer Famer Azumah Nelson in 1982. Sanchez made his professional debut on May 4, 1975 — 47 years ago on Wednesday. Here is his rookie card (a sticker, actually) from the 1981 Panini multi-sport set from Italy in my collection.
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Seeing that Salvador Sanchez rookie card, brings tears to my eyes, because of untimely death. If always makes me think how much further he could have gone on if he didn't die then. May he Rest in Peace.
love the betrbiev-smith fight! i think beef is a lot better and will win handily, but he'll have to fight and likely take a little heat before it ends. should be fun...
... unlike that pbc undercard. charlo-sulecki is garbage, and so is martin-nunez (who has an empty record). not sure plania is all that good, but his fight vs aleem (who is good) is at least somewhat intriguing, but only elevated by the garbage that bookends it.
and great salvador sanchez tie in with his debut date! unbelievable what he accomplished in just 7 years as a pro! for comparison tank davis has been around 9, spence 10 and canelo 17. sad to think of what could have been, but grateful for what was!