By Brian Webber: Teddy Atlas expects Saturday’s light heavyweight unification match between IBF/WBC champion Artur Beterbiev and WBO champ Joe Smith Jr. to be like a “monster” truck battle between these two big punchers at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) and Smith (28-3, 22 KOs) will be shown on ESPN and ESPN+ in a fight that is the highlight of this weekend.
It’s by far the most appealing on paper for this Saturday’s fight, and we’ll see if it lives up to the billing. It hasn’t been promoted as much as some of the fights we’ve seen this year, but it should be worthwhile for fans to see these two monster punchers.
Beterbiev has the experience advantage in terms of his amateur background, but the blue-color fighter Smith Jr has been learning on the job, steadily improving with each fight since turning pro in 2009.
“They’re monsters. They make no pretense about it, they’re not pretty boys,” said Teddy Atlas on his podcast about Saturday’s unification match between Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr.
“These are guys, and they’re not stupid either. They’re technically solid. Joe Smith has matured, he’s gotten better, he’s advanced. There’s more room for Smith to keep getting better because he didn’t have the background, the experience, the amateur experience.
“Beterbiev had 300 fights, 400 or whatever the heck it was. I think he won the world championships back in the amateurs. When you’re that experienced, there’s not that room to keep getting better in certain areas.
“For Smith, there is room to get better and he has gotten better. He’s tough as nails just like Beterbiev, physically strong just like Beterbiev. He’s a good solid, hard puncher with either hand just like Beterbiev.
“This is going to be a monster mash like, like you’re going to the monster trucks. You’re not going to look at those Ferrari and Porches that maybe go 200 mph.
“If you’re watching this fight, you’re a fan of monster trucks, and you’re not going to be disappointed. These guys don’t know how to do anything else. They’re going to go and test each other from their heads to their toes,” Atlas said of Beterbiev and Smith Jr.
“They’re going to test to see who can go to the darkest corners themselves, and still survive and still find a way and still come out on top. That’s what these. That’s what these guys are going to do.
“Yeah, they’re going to be as smart as they can about it, as technical as they can about it, and buttoned up as much as they can about it, but you are what you are.
“It should be a hell of a fight. Body punching, pressure, aggression. Obviously, both guys, I wouldn’t be surprised if they visit the hurt locker before the night is over.
“It might come down to who has the better chin, who is a little smarter at the right moment from a technical standpoint, and maybe who uses their jab better,” said Atlas.
