Artur Beterbiev discussed fighting under the Canadian flag after his victory over Joe Smith Jr in New York. The Russian born boxing champion explained that the decision was connected with international sports restrictions during the conflict in Ukraine. After returning to Moscow, Beterbiev said he hoped fans in Russia would not judge him too harshly because he previously represented the Russian flag throughout most of his career.

Beterbiev Defeated Joe Smith Jr in New York

Beterbiev entered the fight against Joe Smith Jr with an undefeated professional record and three world titles already in his possession. During the match at Hulu Theater inside Madison Square Garden, the light heavyweight champion stopped Smith in the second round and added the WBO title to his WBC and IBF belts.

The victory allowed Beterbiev to maintain his record of winning every professional fight by knockout. The boxer has lived in Montreal for around ten years, and during the event he competed under the Canadian flag instead of a neutral sports status.

Several important details surrounded the fight:

  • Beterbiev defeated Joe Smith Jr by knockout
  • The bout took place in New York
  • He added the WBO title to his championship collection
  • The boxer fought under the Canadian flag
  • His professional record improved to 18 victories with 18 knockouts

Russian Boxer Speaks About Public Reaction

Beterbiev told Match TV that he hoped people in Russia would remember his long history competing under the Russian flag. According to the champion, using the Canadian flag happened only once in his career and mainly because of international circumstances surrounding Russian athletes.

Dmitry Bivol Fight Attracts Attention

After becoming unified champion, Beterbiev started discussing possible future opponents. One expected challenger is British boxer Anthony Yarde, who became mandatory contender for the WBO title. At the same time, many boxing fans showed stronger interest in a potential fight against Dmitry Bivol.

Bivol gained major attention earlier after defeating Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas. A fight between Beterbiev and Bivol would determine the first undisputed light heavyweight champion of the four belt era. Beterbiev admitted that a unification fight interested him more than a mandatory defense against Yarde.