What to watch for when Artur Beterbiev faces Joe Smith Jr. to unify three world light heavyweight titles

When Joe Smith Jr. narrowly defeated Maxim Vlasov in April 2021 to win the WBO light heavyweight title, a unification bout with WBC and IBF titleholder Artur Beterbiev instantly became a can't-miss matchup.

Two of the biggest punchers in boxing will meet on Saturday at New York's Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ with prelims on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET) in what shapes up as an explosive action fight for as long as it lasts. Beterbiev, boxing's only champion with a 100% KO percentage, is an 8-1 favorite, according to Caesars Sportsbook, and with good reason.

Top Rank Boxing is now on ESPN and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ to get exclusive boxing events, weigh-ins and more.

Saturday, June 18, 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+: Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. undercard

Saturday, June 18, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+: Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr., 12 rounds, for Beterbiev's WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles and Smith's WBO light heavyweight title

Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs), of Russia, is consistently on the cusp of the pound-for-pound list — if not in the top 10. He is a precise puncher who knows just where and when to place his shots, and has the engine to carry that power into the later rounds.

Never was that more on display than against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019, a title unification Beterbiev won via 10th-round TKO after he floored his foe three times.

But Beterbiev is 37 and showed vulnerability when he was knocked down by Callum Johnson in a 2018 fight. And he's been inactive, competing only twice since he defeated Gvozdyk. And during that time, Smith (28-3, 22 KOs) has shown vast improvement.

Here are three things to watch for in Saturday's fight for three 175-pound titles:

Whoever emerges with