“He’s Not Invincible”: Unfazed by His Terrifying Power, Callum Smith Vows to “Hurt” Artur Beterbiev

For Callum Smith, it is his career’s toughest fight. However, while his primary instinct should be to survive the power of Artur Beterbiev, his plans go beyond that. With enough wins in his kitty, he is confident he can find a way against the Russo-Canadian.

In his professional career spanning over a decade, Beterbiev has encountered 19 opponents, none of whom have managed to reach the final bell against him. Nevertheless, the Liverpool fighter stands in a league of his own. Boasting 21 knockouts within his impressive 29-win record, Callum Smith goes beyond your average light heavyweight contender. Defeating Beterbiev is hard and Smith knows it. Yet Smith, who will face Beterbiev in a few days at the Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City, Canada, believes he has more than a chance. Not only that, he is also sure he can do the unthinkable.

Callum Smith is embracing the fear factor

“I believe I can finish Artur Beterbiev,” declared Smith to Nick Parkinson of ESPN. “He’s a very good fighter, his record speaks for itself, but he’s not invincible, he can be hit and he can be hurt, we’ve seen that,” said Smith. 39-year-old Beterbiev’s record argues otherwise. The orthodox fighter, originally from Russia, kept his last opponent, Anthony Yarde, concerned till the end, until he was eventually stopped in the 8th round, following a splendid crusade that Beterbiev led.

However, it’s not just Beterbiev’s prowess that should keep ‘Mundo’ worried. Smith has been out of the ring for about 16 months. This fight will be his comeback of sorts since the knockout victory he registered against Mathieu Bauderlique in a Jeddah fight, back in 2022. For Beterbiev, who’s not fought for about a year, this is his first fight since his jawbone surgery, which pushed their original fight from August last year to this Saturday.

Smith’s lack of activity in the ring or his opponent’s acumen does not intimidate him. He notes, “With this level of opponent, like Beterbiev, it could be done in seconds — I know that. But it brings out the sharpness in me and gives me the fear factor to put into training and keep pushing.”

While most would fear facing Beterbiev, for Smith his tactical abilities outshine those fears. He believes everything at the moment in his favor.

Mundo Relies on His Best Version

“I don’t watch him thinking I can’t beat him. I believe the best version of me can beat him and I believe the timing is right on my side. We don’t know if he’s aging yet, but I just know that I’m in with a big puncher and because of that he keeps me more switched on.” The timing is indeed in his favor. He has no titles to lose but hopes to grab Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC, and WBO belts.

Also Read: With Days Left In Callum Smith Fight, Artur Beterbiev Details True Meaning Of A “Strong Person”

For Smith, it’s about streamlining his career in the right direction now. After having lost his title to Canelo Álvarez (2020), the only loss on his record, he was back on the map of victories. Yet, those hardly made up for the glory he had lost. He was slated to fight in March last year, but his “little injury” made him pull out of that fight. The Beterbiev undertaking will be his 3rd fight, the most prominent one since he’s gone up the weight.

“If you have a good camp, it’s OK. I’m not too fussed about how long it’s been since my last fight,” he explains, making his case strong as he awaits the ring walk that could either break or make his career. Do you think he holds any chance of winning against Artur Beterbiev? Let us know in the comments section.

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