Artur Beterbiev faces Joe Smith Jr in a three-belt light-heavyweight unification in New York
(Picture: Getty Images)Artur Beterbiev takes on Joe Smith Jr in a world light-heavyweight title unification fight in New York tonight.
The Hulu Theater at the iconic Madison Square Garden is the setting for a huge bout that will see the WBC, IBF and WBO belts at 175 pounds all on the line.
Beterbiev has two of those titles and is the heavy favourite to triumph on Saturday and move one step closer to potential undisputed status.
The unbeaten, Canada-based Russian is one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, boasting 17 straight knockout wins as a professional, and will have one eye on a mammoth showdown with compatriot Dmitry Bivol, who holds the WBA belt and stunned Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas last month.
Beterbiev was last seen in the ring in Montreal in December, when he stopped Marcus Browne in the ninth round of a bloody contest.
American Smith Jr, who already lost to Bivol in 2019, is a considerable underdog in the Big Apple, having held the WBO strap since defeating Maxim Vlasov in Tulsa last April.
Here’s all the details for how to watch tonight’s boxing live...
How to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr
TV channel: In the UK, Beterbiev vs Smith Jr is being broadcast live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning on Main Event at 2:30am BST in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 4am.
