Artur Beterbiev Vs. Callum Smith: Immediate Thoughts

Through seven rounds of boxing, Artur Beterbiev delivered punishment.  Going into the final round he'd already landed 67 power punches. Then came the hammer the whole crowd showed up for. 2:00 minutes into the seventh round, Beterbiev dropped Callum Smith with a flurry of punches. Before tonight, Smith had never been knocked down in his career, amateur or professional. Artur Beterbiev knocked him down twice in one round. The most dangerous puncher in boxing has done it again. 

The first knockdown got the entire arena standing, ready to see Beterbiev finish the job. After the second, Smith's trainer and former world champion himself, Buddy McGirt stepped in the ring and waved his hands, signaling to the referee he'd seen enough. Callum Smith made both counts, but it was clear the damage was becoming unnecessary. After, the emotions were swelling all over, with both Beterbiev and Smith dropping to their knees following the closing bell.

Beterbiev remains the WBC-IBF-WBO light heavyweight champion of the world, and Callum Smith has become another name on the long list of former champions dismantled by the Russian-Canadian pound-for-pounder.

Who's next for Beterbiev? He's had a long layoff, but he looked as good as he ever has tonight. So we'll let him enjoy his win, and for now, just fantasize about Canelo gaining enough weight to make a dream matchup happen. But truly, an incredible performance from both men, and I look forward to the next career steps from both of them.