Artur Beterbiev destroys Joe Smith Jr inside two rounds to set up light heavyweight title clash with Anthony Yarde
ARTUR BETERBIEV knocked out Joe Smith Jr in just TWO rounds on Saturday night to claim the WBO title.
The world light heavyweight champion is now expected to go toe-to-toe with London fighter Anthony Yarde in October.
Beterbiev, 37, now has an impressive 18-0 record, all by way of knockout.
Two left hand blows and a right hand uppercut forced the finish after two knockdowns had already left the 32-year-old American reeling.
The Russian-born Canadian added the WBO belt to his WBC and IBF titles.
This sets up a potential unification fight with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight crown.
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But Yarde was ringside at Madison Square Garden to watch Beterbiev brush past Smith.
After the fight, Yarde addressed the media and was asked if he would consider step-aside money to let the victor's unification bout with Bivol go ahead.
Yarde said: "Right now, that's not looking likely. Beterbiev is coming to London, we are going to make it happen.
"I think it's going to be very very exciting, this is what I'm in the sport for.
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"It's a lot of money but where I come from, I see it as opportunity to try and make a legacy.
"Money runs out but legacy lives on forever.
"The preparation will begin intensely as soon as I get back to London.
"I'll shock a lot of people. I'm quite confident."
Yarde has a record of 22 wins and two losses with his most recent success coming against fellow Brit Lyndon Arthur.
He got his revenge against Arthur a year after losing to him with a knockout last December.
The potential fight against Beterbiev would be the second world title fight of Yarde's career after he lost his first shot against Sergey Kovalev three years ago.
The Hackney light heavyweight was impressed by Beterbiev's punching but gave an insight on what to expect.
Yarde added: "He showed what he is - very strong and a good power puncher.
"Smith's tactics played into the hands of Beterbiev. He could have gone in with more confidence, more jabs and more footwork.
"The key to beating Beterbiev is to be sharper, quicker, more inteliigent and we'll see on fight night.
"From what I saw today, he's a heavy hitter but he was just swinging shots over the top.
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"As you've seen in boxing time and time again, the punch that hurts the most, is the punch you don't see.
"To me, they both looked slow."