What next for Artur Beterbiev? | Callum Smith declares: ‘The time to beat him is now!’ | Boxing News

Artur Beterbiev has never lost a professional fight.

There were 19 people who tried to beat him, two of them were world champions, but none of them succeeded. None of them had been far from him.

Beterbiev was reminded of his danger, despite being 38, when he stopped London’s Anthony Yarde in eight rounds after an incredible world title fight at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

He defended his WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles and is now targeting what could be the toughest fight of his pro career. Beterbiev wants to take on WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol in a fight that will determine the undisputed 175lb champion.

“I want Bivol. Now, that’s all. In that fight, we’ll have four belts. It’s a very good fight, I think,” said Beterbiev after his latest victory.

The unified champions are confident they can perform better than last weekend.

“Every fight is different. It’s a different preparation. And the fighters are also different. I can’t say that I fought too much,” he said after the exciting contest with Yarde.

“But if I could do it again, I’d do it better. But I feel good. Honestly, I’m ready for all the punches that I took. That’s why I can come back.”

However, Beterbiev’s next opponent could be another Englishman.

After defeating Mathieu Bauderlique last August, an impressive four-round knockout win, Liverpool’s Callum Smith became the mandatory challenger for Beterbiev’s WBC title.

Smith expects a tune-up fight in March, and then push for a shot at the champion makes.

“I have done my part. I have made it mandatory for me to sit and wait and fight for three belts,” he said. Sky Sports.

He wants a respectable opponent in the spring — “it has to be an opponent that makes me want to go to camp, makes me want to train hard” — even if it’s going to be a battle Smith can’t lose.

“It’s a bit difficult. But if I’m good enough to beat Beterbiev, which I’m sure, I should be good enough to beat someone else, as long as I stay focused and motivated,” Smith said.

“I feel like myself, I feel like I’m enjoying training more. I feel like I’m happy with the improvements I’m making. I should be okay.”

As Beterbiev looks, Smith, a former super middleweight champion, believes he has all the tools to defeat him.

“I believe I can beat anybody on the planet,” Smith said. “I’m sure I can win the belt too.”

“He’s European style, applying pressure but not just racing forward, he knows how to do it and obviously has a heavy hand,” Smith said. “He’s been sick, he’s been a professional twice and he’s unbeatable.

“I’ve seen other fighters hurt him and put him down, I’m sure he can.

“I’m in my peak year now and the time to beat him is now.”

Smith will go wherever the fight takes him.

“I’m a challenger. I won’t be able to call many shots. I think if we don’t come to an agreement it’s for the purse offer anyway. I just want to fight,” he said.

“I don’t think the venue is very important to me. I will fight, whether I have to go to America for it, England, or. I just want to fight that. That’s the goal. That’s why I’m still boxing, that’s why I went to the camp, to be a world champion two weights.

“I always believed that I was good enough and big enough to do it. I made the decision to go up, keep going and I was very close to achieving it.”

He will achieve that goal, even if it means taking one of the fiercest blows in the sport.

“I’m in boxing because when I’m done, I want to sit back and say I’ve accomplished everything I can,” Smith said.

“If you’re at a level where you’re not really satisfied with anything less. So if I don’t believe I can go back to where I am, I won’t be sitting here.”

Thinking of the advantage of his own youth compared to the 38-year-old champion, he added with a smile: “Age is age. It will catch up to him at some point. And hopefully it’s a week before he fights me!”