Buddy McGirt breaks down the Beterbiev-Smith fight
Callum Smith (29-1, 21KO) is set to face off against unified Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19KO) this Saturday, January 13, in Quebec City.
Leading up to the fight, Smith’s trainer Buddy McGirt has spoken out about his 175lbs British fighter’s underappreciated power.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 59-year-old retired boxer stated that he thinks Beterbiev will struggle to deal with ‘Mundo’s’ power when they step into the ring on Saturday night, which will be in the early hours of the morning for British boxing fans.
“I don’t think he has faced anyone that’s going to make him respect their power like Callum will, and the question is, when you taste it, what are you going to do? When you are used to being the strongest kid on the block it's ok, but what happens when someone is just a little bit stronger than you? How do you make that adaption?”
The former two-weight world champion continued to explain, “I think that’s going to be a big factor. I know we have to get his respect, if you don’t get his respect he is going to walk all over you. Gotta get his respect, and we’ve got to get it early, we can’t wait four or five rounds.”
A fast start for Liverpool’s Smith goes against what many fans and pundits have been predicting, as it was widely accepted that the Scouser would try to box on the outside and stay away from the danger and power Beterbiev will undoubtedly bring to the table.
The Russian last laced up the gloves a year ago, standing toe-to-toe with Brit Anthony Yarde last January. The fight turned into an all-out war, hailed as one of the best of 2023.
The 38-year-old managed to come out on top with an eighth-round knockout, though not without facing some adversity of his own. Chinks in the armour of the formidable unified champ were exposed as Yarde appeared to hurt his fellow light heavyweight Multiple times throughout the bout.
It appears Smith and his team have been working hard to allow him to further make use of any weaknesses they have spotted in Beterbiev’s game.
The Brit is heading into the fight as a huge underdog, so a win on the weekend will be a big upset, not only for Beterbiev but also for WBA Super champion Dmitry Bivol, as the two rivals are already in negotiations for an undisputed clash later this year.
Only three weeks ago before Christmas, Joseph Parker scored an upset to thwart the signed, contracted fight between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, so if recent history is anything to go by, the lesson is to deal with the fight in hand before looking ahead to your next one. Perhaps the ageing Artur may succomb to the same curse on the 13th.
As a trainer, McGirt has worked with multiple world champions, including Arturo Gatti, Antonio Tarver, Hasim Rahman, Paulie Malignaggi, Sergey Kovalev, and currently the WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. He was named Trainer of the Year 2002 by the Boxing Writers Association of America.