MONTREAL – Undefeated Artur Beterbiev retained three world light heavyweight boxing titles by stopping Britain’s Callum Smith in the seventh round on Jan 13, maintaining his perfect knockout record.

Beterbiev, a 38-year-old Russian-born Canadian, stopped the 33-year-old Englishman two minutes into the seventh round in Quebec City, Canada, improving to 20-0 and remaining the only world champion to win every fight by early stoppage.

A hard right hand by Beterbiev to the side of Smith’s head was the stunner that crumpled his younger opponent to the canvas for the first time in his career in the seventh round.

Smith rose against the ropes but Beterbiev quickly landed a series of punches to drop the challenger again. Smith’s corner halted the bout moments later.

Beterbiev kept the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organisation and International Boxing Federation light heavyweight crowns and set the stage for a likely undisputed unification fight with unbeaten World Boxing Association champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia.

Said Beterbiev: “I need a fourth belt. It would mean a lot to me. It’s the top. It would mean in this category I have done work.

“Ramadan is coming. Ramadan ends some time in the middle of April, so about three months after the end of Ramadan we’ll be ready to fight Bivol, probably in Riyadh.”

Smith, a former WBA super middleweight champion, fell to 29-2.

His only previous loss was by unanimous decision in 2020 to Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the undisputed world super middleweight champion.

Beterbiev was to have faced Smith last August but the fight was postponed after a bone infection required the former to have jaw surgery. AFP