WBO light heavyweight belt holder American puncher Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs) will meet on June 18 in his native New York (USA) in unification with WBC / IBF belt holder Russian Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) , after which he dreams of a fight for the absolute with WBA Super champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) from Russia.
Fighter promoter Joe DeGuardia (Star Boxing) is dissatisfied with the actions of colleague Frank Warren (queensberry promotions) – he recently announced that the winner of the fight Beterbiev vs Smith will fight in October with the mandatory challenger for the WBO British Anthony Yarde.
“Firstly, it would be wrong to look behind Beterbiev’s back,”
says DeGuardia. – The same goes for Warren’s words – it’s wrong and premature. Regardless of what conversations he had with Bob Arum, and I believe he had them, Smith’s future will be decided with him by ourselves. And we will do it immediately after the fight with Beterbiev. We are very loyal to the WBO, because we are champions in this version. But so far, they have not authorized any mandatory protections. And if so, why all this talk?
“We will strive to make Joe the toughest fight possible,” explains DeGuardia. – Money in boxing is very important, no doubt. But heritage is also very important. So don’t be surprised that Smith wants to close Bivol’s defeat. This is his priority. And this will also be one of the most important factors when making a decision. I know that the WBO has very advanced leaders. Therefore, I am not sure that they will impose mandatory protection on us without options. And only if they sanction the fight with Yard, it will be possible to talk about something. Warren says they have a UK date of October 22nd. But why not here in Madison Square Gardenin New York?”
Deguardia assessed all the options of the ward: “If he beats Beterbiev and takes all the titles, he will significantly strengthen his position here in the States. So Warren’s actions are more like the usual hype. Don’t forget that Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez will fight his next fight in September. So we will have options, even if we fail to negotiate with Bivol. What do I expect from the fight with Beterbiev? It will be a firework of blows! Bombs will fly, a real thriller. And if the fight turns out to be as cool as expected, then a rematch is not ruled out.”
The other day the promoter decided on a priority opponent for Bivol. Oscar De La Hoya is ready to argue with him Golden Boy Promotions: Dmitry already has an opponent, we are waiting for the official decision of the WBA.
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