Tony Bellew believes that two big names in the light heavyweight division have the beating of Artur Beterbiev.
The Russian Canadian travelled to London to defend his WBC, WBO, and IBF world titles against a game Anthony Yarde, and showed his elite level with an eighth round stoppage following a brutal back and forth affair.
Yarde made an exceptional account of himself and did find a home for many shots against the champion, but he was the first to fold in the powerful battle. It was Beterbiev’s 19th stoppage victory in as many fights.
In the aftermath, former cruiserweight world champion, Tony Bellew, took to Twitter to claim that Callum Smith had the beating of Beterbiev. Smith is a former super middleweight champion now campaigning in the 175lb division.
“Styles make fights and people are all gonna shoot me down here but I’m gonna say it anyway! Callum Smith knocks Beterbiev out within 6 rounds! He’s too open and too easy to hit! I’ve said he’s vulnerable and it’ll show when he fights Callum.”
Styles make fights and people are all gonna shoot me down here but I’m gonna say it anyway! Callum Smith knocks Beterbiev out within 6 rounds! He’s too open and too easy to hit! I’ve said he’s vulnerable and it’ll show when he fights Callum. #BeterbievSmith
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) January 28, 2023
In an interview with the DAZN Boxing Show where Bellew was ranking the light heavyweight scene, he was confident that Dmitry Bivol is up to the task, too.
“Bivol beats Beterbiev. He just outboxes him. I made the cardinal sin of not rating him as highly as I should because he hadn’t shown me what he was capable of … but when you go in there and do what you did with Canelo and then after that the Ramirez fight that was fantastic. I rate him massively. His footwork is exceptional. He moves like a welterweight.”
“I just think he would move and manoeuvre around Artur Beterbiev and beat him on points.”
Smith is now mandatory to face Beterbiev for the WBC title, and whilst an undisputed fight with Bivol would take precedence, that’s unlikely to unfold given a more likely path for the other champion is a rematch with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
It seems Bellew’s predictions – or at least one of them depending on the outcome – will be put to the test this year.