Callum Smith is the new World Boxing Organisation (WBO) interim light-heavyweight champion following a unanimous decision win over Joshua Buatsi.
The bout, an undercard for Artur Beterbiev’s rematch with Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light-heavyweight title, was scored 119-110, 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Smith.
Saturday night’s defeat will cost Buatsi, not only the WBO interim title, but a chance at facing the winner of the Beterbiev versus Bivol rematch.
Buatsi started Saturday night’s fight well
That opportunity will now go to Callum Smith, despite previously discussing his retirement plans.
When the bout started, Buatsi took the initiative, testing his adversary with some body shots and the occassional right hook.
But Smith steadied himself and began to land some punches as the fight progressed.
Not to be fazed, Buatsi took on the challenge and replied with a double jab that unsettled Smith.
Before Buatsi could get into rhythm, his endurance and capacity to take punishments were tested again when Smith produced consecutive hooks to his right.
By the third round, Buatsi had asserted control of the fight, landing successive jabs and a powerful left hook.
Buatsi lures his man in, risking a close shot in this instance
Sensing an opportunity, Buatsi kept pounding away and by the fourth round, delivered another left hook that inflicted a deep cut over Smith’s right eye.
Smith, who had not won a high profile fight in five years, moved around a bit more before landing some body shots to break Buatsi’s momentum.
In the sixth round, things took an unexpected turn when Buatsi walked his chin into a Smith hook.
Clearly wobbled from the hook and the flurry that followed, Buatsi clinched and eventually rode the storm.
Before things could get worse, Buatsi got into his groove again with an excellently delivered left hook that sent Smith to Liverpool and back in a daze in the eighth round.
Smith did not just come back, he returned smarter; engaging Buatsi from a distance and relied on body shots to get back into rhythm.
Smith swings wildly, missing his target as he did on many occassions
Buoyed by the body shots, Smith attempted some power punches from distance but Buatsi evaded and replied with a beautiful upper cut.
Taking a leaf from the Liverpudlian’s book, Buatsi resorted to long jabs after that before unleashing a flurry that finished with a left hook to Smith’s head.
Smith’s head snapped as Buatsi waited, hoping, the rest of his opponent’s body will follow and visit the canvass.
However, Smith summoned all his endurance and stayed locked in; taking on the punishment from Buatsi’s stinging left hook.
In the tenth round, Buatsi broke through with more powerful punches to the body and had his man on the ropes for what seemed like eternity.
Buatsi then went for the kill, targeting Smith’s badly cut right eye, as the fight drew to a close.
In a desperate bid to avoid defeat, Smith summoned all the energy left and connected a powerful right hook, forcing the Londoner’s gumshield out of his mouth.
Buatsi took the challenge and produced heavy shots of his own in the middle of the ring as the bout drew to a close.
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