Liverpool’s Callum Smith put himself in position for another world title tilt after scoring a unanimous decision win over previously-unbeaten Joshua Buatsi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Neither man touched the canvas during the contest, but both were hurt over the course of 12 tough, rugged rounds. Smith, however, was more consistent, his punches sharper and their impact apparently more emphatic, as he battled to a 119-110, 115-113, 116-112 verdict.
The first of those scores will cause the arching of eyebrows, as Buatsi certainly appeared to have captured more than one round; but although he was competitive in most frames, he was second-best in the majority of them as he dropped to 19-1 (13 KOs).
The tone of the fight was established from the opening bell, as the two men began digging punches in close early on. While Buatsi seemed eager to stand in as close as possible, it was Smith who, in the early exchanges, was by far the more effective at finding room to launch sharp, short blows to head and, especially, body.
Buatsi first made his presence truly felt in the third, as he backed Smith, 31-2 (22 KOs), to the ropes and opened with a series of flurries and, layer in the round, doubled Smith over with a perfect uppercut to the solar plexus.
Perhaps inspired by that success, Buatsi opened the fourth on the front foot, only for Smith to back him off with some ripping body shots of his own. Buatsi switched upstairs, landing a sharp left hand to the face of Smith, which was already starting to redden around the Liverpudlian’s right eye.
In the fifth, Buatsi was the one hurt from a body shot, stiffening as Smith continued to rip his torso. As Buatsi froze, Smith switched upstairs and sent his mouthpiece flying with a right hand.
The sixth saw Smith seemingly on the verge of a stoppage. Buatsi came out using his arms to protect his ribcage, leaving his head more exposed, and Smith took advantage, hurting him badly with a right hand. Buatsi was in retreat as a double left hook landed, but a hook of his own out of nowhere sent Smith backing into a corner as the bell rang.
The pace slowed in the seventh as Smith caught his breath, but he was back in the ascendant in the eighth, moving Buatsi with a left hook to the head and then another, before Buatsi responded with some stiff jabs and straight rights, scoring with a hook at the end of a three-punch combination.
Smith was beginning to tire as the championship rounds ticked closer, and Buatsi sought to take advantage, throwing short combos as he stepped forward and backed Smith to the ropes in the tenth.
Buatsi continued bringing the pressure in the 11th as Smith retreated, but the man from Liverpool had enough in reserve for a final stand in the twelfth and final round.
A big left hook off the ropes in that final round hurt Buatsi, as did another. A right hand in close landed for Smith and a left hook knocked out Buatsi’s mouthpiece again. Buatsi landed a big right but took two more hooks in return as the bell rang to signal the end of a quality fight.
Smith will be hoping his win earns him the reward of a fight with Dmitry Bivol, or a rematch with Artur Beterbiev; Jose Benavidez Sr told BoxingScene on Saturday that his son David would be interested in a fight with Smith should the Beterbiev-Bivol rivalry extend to a trilogy.
Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.
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