4/10 ESPN/ESPN+: Joe Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov (vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Title)
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April 10: Heavyweight Sensation Jared Anderson to Battle Jeremiah Karpency on the Joe Smith Jr.-Maxim Vlasov Undercard LIVE on ESPN+
2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição returns against Jesus Antonio Ahumada
Undercard action to stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT
TULSA, OK (March 26, 2021) — The heavyweight division’s next king is taking his show on the road. Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson, who knocked out five opponents inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, returns to action Saturday, April 10 against Jeremiah “The Bullfrog” Karpency in a bout scheduled for 8/6 rounds from Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Anderson-Karpency is among the undercard contests streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT), preceding the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title main event featuring Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov, and the 10-round heavyweight co-feature between Efe Ajagba and Brian Howard (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Tony Holden Productions, limited tickets are available and can be purchased by visiting StubWire.com.
“Jared Anderson is a superstar in the making," said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is the world’s most exciting young heavyweight, and I can’t wait to see what he shows next. When you watch Jared, you are watching a future world champion.”
Anderson (8-0, 8 KOs), from Toledo, Ohio, turned pro with Top Rank following a stellar amateur career that included U.S. National Championship victories in 2017 and 2018. He has been spotless as a professional, notching five first-round knockouts and serving as Tyson Fury’s primary sparring partner before the Deontay Wilder rematch. He last fought Feb. 13 and created a viral moment with a left hook that knocked out Kingsley Ibeh in the sixth round. Karpency (16-2-1, 6 KOs), from Adah, Pennsylvania, is an 11-year pro whose only defeats have come against previously undefeated foes: Oscar Rivas (third-round TKO) and Sergey Kuzmin (sixth-round KO).
Anderson said, “I began 2021 on a high note against Ibeh, and I’m looking forward to carrying over my momentum against Karpency. The fans love big knockouts, and my goal is to deliver that every time I fight.”
In other undercard action:
Robson Conceição (15-0, 7 KOs) vs. Jesus Antonio Ahumada (17-3, 11 KOs)
8 Rounds, Junior Lightweight
2016 Olympic gold medalist Conceição, from Bahia, Brazil, cemented his status as a contender with last October’s gut check against Louie Coria. Conceição recovered from a knockdown and a pair of point deductions to squeak out a unanimous decision victory and preserve his unbeaten record. Ahumada, from Hermosillo, Mexico, is 3-1 since a 2018 TKO loss to Stephen Fulton, who went on to win a junior featherweight world title.
Albert Bell (17-0, 5 KOs) vs. Manuel Rey Rojas (20-4, 6 KOs)
8 Rounds, Junior Lightweight
The six-foot Bell, from Toledo, Ohio, makes his 2021 debut following last July’s 10-round shutout over Filipino veteran Mark Bernaldez. Bell, who is ranked in the top 15 by the WBO, holds a 2019 victory over longtime contender Andy Vences and is closing in on a potential world title opportunity. Rojas, from Dallas, Texas, is 8-1 in his last nine bouts, with his only defeat coming by 10-round decision in January 2020 to Puerto Rican star Felix Verdejo. He fought last September in Mexico and scored a second-round stoppage.
Sonny Conto (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3 KOs)
4 Rounds, Heavyweight
Conto returns for his first fight in 15 months against the man he was supposed to fight Feb. 20 inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. A medical issue forced Cortes out of the fight, but he is now recovered and ready to face the South Philadelphia native who has two consecutive first-round stoppages.
Troy Isley (1-0) vs. LaQuan Evans (4-1, 2 KOs)
4 Rounds, Middleweight
Decorated former U.S. amateur star Isley, from Alexandria, Virginia, turned pro Feb. 13 and shut out Bryant Costello over four rounds. Isley will step up in pro bout number two against Evans, a two-year pro who has won three straight bouts since a majority decision defeat.
Duke Ragan (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Charles Clark (3-6-1, 1 KO)
6 Rounds, Featherweight
Ragan, from Cincinnati, Ohio, signed a professional contract with Top Rank last year following an amateur run that included a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships. As a professional, he’s been perfect, following up a first-round knockout in his professional debut with a pair of shutout four-round decisions. He steps up to six rounds against Clark, who bested the 4-1 Malik Loften in his last fight.
Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16 KOs) vs. TBA
8 Rounds, Heavyweight
Tulsa’s Morrison, son of the late heavyweight star Tommy Morrison, returns from a nearly two-year layoff intent on extending his knockout streak. A proven ticket-seller in Oklahoma, this will be Morrison’s 14th professional fight in the Sooner State.
Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jayvone Dafney (2-2, 2 KOs)
4 Rounds, Heavyweight
Tulsa native Milton returns home after a pair of stoppage wins to begin his career late last year. Dafney is coming off a first-round knockout Feb. 27 in Georgia.
2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição returns against Jesus Antonio Ahumada
Undercard action to stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT
Anderson-Karpency is among the undercard contests streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT), preceding the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title main event featuring Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov, and the 10-round heavyweight co-feature between Efe Ajagba and Brian Howard (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Tony Holden Productions, limited tickets are available and can be purchased by visiting StubWire.com.
“Jared Anderson is a superstar in the making," said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is the world’s most exciting young heavyweight, and I can’t wait to see what he shows next. When you watch Jared, you are watching a future world champion.”
Anderson (8-0, 8 KOs), from Toledo, Ohio, turned pro with Top Rank following a stellar amateur career that included U.S. National Championship victories in 2017 and 2018. He has been spotless as a professional, notching five first-round knockouts and serving as Tyson Fury’s primary sparring partner before the Deontay Wilder rematch. He last fought Feb. 13 and created a viral moment with a left hook that knocked out Kingsley Ibeh in the sixth round. Karpency (16-2-1, 6 KOs), from Adah, Pennsylvania, is an 11-year pro whose only defeats have come against previously undefeated foes: Oscar Rivas (third-round TKO) and Sergey Kuzmin (sixth-round KO).
Anderson said, “I began 2021 on a high note against Ibeh, and I’m looking forward to carrying over my momentum against Karpency. The fans love big knockouts, and my goal is to deliver that every time I fight.”
In other undercard action:
Robson Conceição (15-0, 7 KOs) vs. Jesus Antonio Ahumada (17-3, 11 KOs)
8 Rounds, Junior Lightweight
2016 Olympic gold medalist Conceição, from Bahia, Brazil, cemented his status as a contender with last October’s gut check against Louie Coria. Conceição recovered from a knockdown and a pair of point deductions to squeak out a unanimous decision victory and preserve his unbeaten record. Ahumada, from Hermosillo, Mexico, is 3-1 since a 2018 TKO loss to Stephen Fulton, who went on to win a junior featherweight world title.
Albert Bell (17-0, 5 KOs) vs. Manuel Rey Rojas (20-4, 6 KOs)
8 Rounds, Junior Lightweight
The six-foot Bell, from Toledo, Ohio, makes his 2021 debut following last July’s 10-round shutout over Filipino veteran Mark Bernaldez. Bell, who is ranked in the top 15 by the WBO, holds a 2019 victory over longtime contender Andy Vences and is closing in on a potential world title opportunity. Rojas, from Dallas, Texas, is 8-1 in his last nine bouts, with his only defeat coming by 10-round decision in January 2020 to Puerto Rican star Felix Verdejo. He fought last September in Mexico and scored a second-round stoppage.
Sonny Conto (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3 KOs)
4 Rounds, Heavyweight
Conto returns for his first fight in 15 months against the man he was supposed to fight Feb. 20 inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. A medical issue forced Cortes out of the fight, but he is now recovered and ready to face the South Philadelphia native who has two consecutive first-round stoppages.
Troy Isley (1-0) vs. LaQuan Evans (4-1, 2 KOs)
4 Rounds, Middleweight
Decorated former U.S. amateur star Isley, from Alexandria, Virginia, turned pro Feb. 13 and shut out Bryant Costello over four rounds. Isley will step up in pro bout number two against Evans, a two-year pro who has won three straight bouts since a majority decision defeat.
Duke Ragan (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Charles Clark (3-6-1, 1 KO)
6 Rounds, Featherweight
Ragan, from Cincinnati, Ohio, signed a professional contract with Top Rank last year following an amateur run that included a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships. As a professional, he’s been perfect, following up a first-round knockout in his professional debut with a pair of shutout four-round decisions. He steps up to six rounds against Clark, who bested the 4-1 Malik Loften in his last fight.
Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16 KOs) vs. TBA
8 Rounds, Heavyweight
Tulsa’s Morrison, son of the late heavyweight star Tommy Morrison, returns from a nearly two-year layoff intent on extending his knockout streak. A proven ticket-seller in Oklahoma, this will be Morrison’s 14th professional fight in the Sooner State.
Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jayvone Dafney (2-2, 2 KOs)
4 Rounds, Heavyweight
Tulsa native Milton returns home after a pair of stoppage wins to begin his career late last year. Dafney is coming off a first-round knockout Feb. 27 in Georgia.
chunky_mcdaniels
All Star
Woodchopper Joe lets go!
JOE SMITH JR. WANTS TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIS SECOND WORLD TITLE CHANCE
JOE SMITH JR. KNOCKS BERNARD HOPKINS OUT OF THE RING.
05
APR
BY DAN RAFAEL
Light heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. had a chance to fight for a world title in March 2019 and got routed, but he believes he learned an important lesson that night that he plans to carry into his second opportunity to win a 175-pound belt.
Smith will challenge Maxim Vlasov for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title — the one vacated by Canelo Alvarez soon after he knocked out Sergey Kovalev to win it November 2019 — in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET) at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the number of spectators will be limited to about 800. The card will be Top Rank’s first outside of the MGM Grand conference center bubble in Las Vegas since June, when it began putting on shows without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the co-feature, heavyweight up-and-comer Efe Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), 26, a 2016 Nigerian Olympian fighting out of Houston, will face Atlanta native Brian Howard (15-4, 12 KOs), 40, in a 10-rounder.
Smith-Vlasov was originally scheduled for Feb. 13 in Las Vegas, but Vlasov tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the weigh-in, forcing a postponement. But Smith took it in stride, going through with his planned wedding the following week.
“After I found out I wasn’t fighting I took the week off. I had my wedding,” Smith said on a video call with boxing media on Monday. “Enjoyed my wedding and jumped right back into (training). I worked out hard for the last couple of weeks and the last week I’ve just been maintaining and sharpening up all my skills.”
A victory will likely send Smith into a three-belt unification fight with unified champion Artur Beterbiev later in the year.
In Smith’s first title bout almost two years ago, Dmitry Bivol, the slicker, quicker and more technical boxer, befuddled Smith en route to a one-sided unanimous decision victory, 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, to retain his title.
It was then that Smith and his career-long trainer Jerry Capobianco, who also trained Smith when he was an amateur, realized that while they did not have to make wholesale changes to Smith’s game their eyes were certainly opened to the need to make a few refinements.
Smith had always relied upon a plow-ahead, all-out aggressive pressure style. It was that fan-friendly way of fighting that was such a key to upset wins over Andrzej Fonfara by first round knockout in his coming out party in 2016 and an even more shocking eighth-round knockout of the legendary Bernard Hopkins – whom he literally knocked out of the ring to send him into retirement — later in 2016.
The style was working again in his next fight in 2017 when Smith dropped longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in the first round, but he eventually lost a 10-round decision after fighting from the second round on with a badly broken jaw that ultimately required surgery. Smith returned from the jaw injury for a quick first-round knockout of journeyman Melvin Russell in June 2018, which set him for the opportunity to face Bivol.
Smith and Capobianco did not mope around after the Bivol loss. They went about subtlety refining his tactics and it paid off with a pair of significant victories in 2020.
“With Bivol it was experience (for me),” Smith told The Ring. “He is an all-around great fighter. I learned I just needed to sharpen up on a few things, work on a little more movement, a little more footwork and just being a little more busy and not always looking for the big shot.
“That’s what I’ve been working on and it’s been improving and working in the two fights I’ve had since. I was just coming forward with (Bivol) too much rather than taking a second and trying to pick some shots here or there.”
Smith employed his adjustments and fought very well in both of the fights he had after losing to Bivol. As the underdog, he scored a knockdown and outpointed former super middleweight world title challenger Jesse Hart in January 2020 and then scored a highlight-reel ninth-round knockout of former world titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in August.
“(Those wins were) huge for me. I needed those wins,” Smith said. “I knew everything was on the line with those two fights. Even with this fight my career possibly is on the line. I need to get in there and get this win so I get the bigger and better fights.”
In both fights, Smith (26-3, 21 KOs), 31, who hails from Mastic, New York on Long Island, remained aggressive but was less reckless and more thoughtful about which punches to throw. It paid off with victories that were good enough to earn him a nomination for 2020 fighter of the year from the Boxing Writers Association of America, unusual for a fighter who does not hold a world title. Smith was also nominated after his big 2016 campaign.
More notably than an award nomination, however, Smith’s 2020 wins put him in position to fight Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs), 34, of Russia, for a world title.
“Joe always has his power and it always worked up until that point,” Capobianco said of the fight against Bivol. “So, what we did was go back a little bit to the drawing board and just (have him) stay on his toes a little more, be a little more fluid with his punches and like Joe said, it seems to work. A little more head movement, not straight in, and it’s working.”
Smith, more so than many fighters, was able to carry on a somewhat normal boxing schedule in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic. He fought in January, just before Covid-19 began to spread so severely in the United States, and then was back in August in the Top Rank bubble, continuing to fight thanks to the ongoing deal between his promoter, Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, and Top Rank.
Still, Smith said there was nothing easy about making sure he could safely fight this past summer. He said he was essentially a hermit.
“I lucked out with that,” Smith said of his normal schedule. “Also, I sacrificed a lot. I stayed away from people so I knew I would be good and ready (for the August fight). I didn’t take any chances of getting the virus. I kept myself quarantined the whole time. I haven’t been near anybody but my trainer and my (wife) and whoever I’m sparring.”
Joe Smith knocks down Jesse Hart in the seventh (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Because of the adjustments Smith and Capobianco have made, Smith said he will be ready for Vlasov, who isn’t as talented as Bivol but likes to move around in during his fights.
“I watched a few of Vlasov’s fights – the (Isaac) Chilemba fight and a couple of others. He’s a very busy guy and he’s durable,” Smith said. “He can take a good shot and he always comes back with something. He does move around here and there. He does try to use his legs.”
Vlasov’s three losses were all by decision — to Chilemba in 2011, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in 2015 and to Krzysztof Glowacki, when Vlasov moved up to cruiserweight to challenge for a world title in 2018.
“It’s everything right now,” Smith said of defeating Vlasov for the belt. “My whole career is on the line with this fight, so I really need to secure that belt. It would mean everything to me. It’s everything I’ve worked for. I need this win so I can move forward in my career and so I don’t have to go back to working as a laborer or relying on a paycheck every week, killing myself and working for the rest of my life. Securing the world title, which is my dream, is pretty much everything. I just want to get in there and get this guy and get that belt. That’s the only thing on my mind.”
Should Smith emerge victorious on Saturday Top Rank and DeGuardia plan to set up a Beterbiev-Smith fight for later this year in the United States. Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs) earned his place in the fight by knocking out Adam Deines in the 10th round to retain the WBC and IBF bets on March 20 in Moscow.
The prospect of such a major fight has also provided Smith with additional motivation against Vlasov.
“Just knowing that’s the next possibility, the next fight is motivation right there,” Smith said. “It’s a huge opportunity, so I gotta get this belt. I’d take that fight right away.
“I’ve watched a few of his fights. (Beterbiev is) a very strong guy, powerful but he’s been hit and down before and he also hasn’t fought the greatest competition I feel. So we’ll see what happens. Right now I’m focused on this fight and the opportunity to fight for another title after this.”
JOE SMITH JR. KNOCKS BERNARD HOPKINS OUT OF THE RING.
05
APR
BY DAN RAFAEL
Light heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. had a chance to fight for a world title in March 2019 and got routed, but he believes he learned an important lesson that night that he plans to carry into his second opportunity to win a 175-pound belt.
Smith will challenge Maxim Vlasov for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title — the one vacated by Canelo Alvarez soon after he knocked out Sergey Kovalev to win it November 2019 — in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET) at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the number of spectators will be limited to about 800. The card will be Top Rank’s first outside of the MGM Grand conference center bubble in Las Vegas since June, when it began putting on shows without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the co-feature, heavyweight up-and-comer Efe Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), 26, a 2016 Nigerian Olympian fighting out of Houston, will face Atlanta native Brian Howard (15-4, 12 KOs), 40, in a 10-rounder.
Smith-Vlasov was originally scheduled for Feb. 13 in Las Vegas, but Vlasov tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the weigh-in, forcing a postponement. But Smith took it in stride, going through with his planned wedding the following week.
“After I found out I wasn’t fighting I took the week off. I had my wedding,” Smith said on a video call with boxing media on Monday. “Enjoyed my wedding and jumped right back into (training). I worked out hard for the last couple of weeks and the last week I’ve just been maintaining and sharpening up all my skills.”
A victory will likely send Smith into a three-belt unification fight with unified champion Artur Beterbiev later in the year.
In Smith’s first title bout almost two years ago, Dmitry Bivol, the slicker, quicker and more technical boxer, befuddled Smith en route to a one-sided unanimous decision victory, 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, to retain his title.
It was then that Smith and his career-long trainer Jerry Capobianco, who also trained Smith when he was an amateur, realized that while they did not have to make wholesale changes to Smith’s game their eyes were certainly opened to the need to make a few refinements.
Smith had always relied upon a plow-ahead, all-out aggressive pressure style. It was that fan-friendly way of fighting that was such a key to upset wins over Andrzej Fonfara by first round knockout in his coming out party in 2016 and an even more shocking eighth-round knockout of the legendary Bernard Hopkins – whom he literally knocked out of the ring to send him into retirement — later in 2016.
The style was working again in his next fight in 2017 when Smith dropped longtime contender Sullivan Barrera in the first round, but he eventually lost a 10-round decision after fighting from the second round on with a badly broken jaw that ultimately required surgery. Smith returned from the jaw injury for a quick first-round knockout of journeyman Melvin Russell in June 2018, which set him for the opportunity to face Bivol.
Smith and Capobianco did not mope around after the Bivol loss. They went about subtlety refining his tactics and it paid off with a pair of significant victories in 2020.
“With Bivol it was experience (for me),” Smith told The Ring. “He is an all-around great fighter. I learned I just needed to sharpen up on a few things, work on a little more movement, a little more footwork and just being a little more busy and not always looking for the big shot.
“That’s what I’ve been working on and it’s been improving and working in the two fights I’ve had since. I was just coming forward with (Bivol) too much rather than taking a second and trying to pick some shots here or there.”
Smith employed his adjustments and fought very well in both of the fights he had after losing to Bivol. As the underdog, he scored a knockdown and outpointed former super middleweight world title challenger Jesse Hart in January 2020 and then scored a highlight-reel ninth-round knockout of former world titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in August.
“(Those wins were) huge for me. I needed those wins,” Smith said. “I knew everything was on the line with those two fights. Even with this fight my career possibly is on the line. I need to get in there and get this win so I get the bigger and better fights.”
In both fights, Smith (26-3, 21 KOs), 31, who hails from Mastic, New York on Long Island, remained aggressive but was less reckless and more thoughtful about which punches to throw. It paid off with victories that were good enough to earn him a nomination for 2020 fighter of the year from the Boxing Writers Association of America, unusual for a fighter who does not hold a world title. Smith was also nominated after his big 2016 campaign.
More notably than an award nomination, however, Smith’s 2020 wins put him in position to fight Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs), 34, of Russia, for a world title.
“Joe always has his power and it always worked up until that point,” Capobianco said of the fight against Bivol. “So, what we did was go back a little bit to the drawing board and just (have him) stay on his toes a little more, be a little more fluid with his punches and like Joe said, it seems to work. A little more head movement, not straight in, and it’s working.”
Smith, more so than many fighters, was able to carry on a somewhat normal boxing schedule in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic. He fought in January, just before Covid-19 began to spread so severely in the United States, and then was back in August in the Top Rank bubble, continuing to fight thanks to the ongoing deal between his promoter, Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, and Top Rank.
Still, Smith said there was nothing easy about making sure he could safely fight this past summer. He said he was essentially a hermit.
“I lucked out with that,” Smith said of his normal schedule. “Also, I sacrificed a lot. I stayed away from people so I knew I would be good and ready (for the August fight). I didn’t take any chances of getting the virus. I kept myself quarantined the whole time. I haven’t been near anybody but my trainer and my (wife) and whoever I’m sparring.”
Joe Smith knocks down Jesse Hart in the seventh (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Because of the adjustments Smith and Capobianco have made, Smith said he will be ready for Vlasov, who isn’t as talented as Bivol but likes to move around in during his fights.
“I watched a few of Vlasov’s fights – the (Isaac) Chilemba fight and a couple of others. He’s a very busy guy and he’s durable,” Smith said. “He can take a good shot and he always comes back with something. He does move around here and there. He does try to use his legs.”
Vlasov’s three losses were all by decision — to Chilemba in 2011, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in 2015 and to Krzysztof Glowacki, when Vlasov moved up to cruiserweight to challenge for a world title in 2018.
“It’s everything right now,” Smith said of defeating Vlasov for the belt. “My whole career is on the line with this fight, so I really need to secure that belt. It would mean everything to me. It’s everything I’ve worked for. I need this win so I can move forward in my career and so I don’t have to go back to working as a laborer or relying on a paycheck every week, killing myself and working for the rest of my life. Securing the world title, which is my dream, is pretty much everything. I just want to get in there and get this guy and get that belt. That’s the only thing on my mind.”
Should Smith emerge victorious on Saturday Top Rank and DeGuardia plan to set up a Beterbiev-Smith fight for later this year in the United States. Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs) earned his place in the fight by knocking out Adam Deines in the 10th round to retain the WBC and IBF bets on March 20 in Moscow.
The prospect of such a major fight has also provided Smith with additional motivation against Vlasov.
“Just knowing that’s the next possibility, the next fight is motivation right there,” Smith said. “It’s a huge opportunity, so I gotta get this belt. I’d take that fight right away.
“I’ve watched a few of his fights. (Beterbiev is) a very strong guy, powerful but he’s been hit and down before and he also hasn’t fought the greatest competition I feel. So we’ll see what happens. Right now I’m focused on this fight and the opportunity to fight for another title after this.”
Conscious Pilot
Do Better.
Recca Gatsby
LWO
This Saturday bout to be fire
Bigblackted4
Superstar
Deep undercard
Joe Smith Jr.-Maxim Vlasov ESPN Weigh-In Report From Tulsa
BY JAKE DONOVAN
Published Fri Apr 09, 2021, 05:02 PM EDT
Two months later, Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov are ready to fight.
Both boxers made weight for their WBO light heavyweight title fight, which takes place Saturday evening live in front of a sold-out crowd at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Smith (26-3, 21KOs) weighed 174.8 pounds in his bid to become just the fourth-ever boxer from Long Island (New York) to win a major title. Russia’s Vlasov (45-3, 26KO) tipped the scale at 175 pounds for his first major title fight.
The two were due to meet on Feb. 13th at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Their scheduled ESPN headliner was postponed after Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19, with the news coming just two days prior to fight night.
Smith enters riding a two-fight win streak, including a 9th round knockout of former WBO titlist Eleider Alvarez last August in the MGM Bubble. The feat secured his place for a second career title fight, having come up well short in a 12-round decision defeat to unbeaten WBA 175-pound titlist Dmitry Bivol in March 2019.
Vlasov has won his last three starts, all coming at light heavyweight after moving down from cruiserweight. His last fight at the higher weight came in a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Krzysztof Glowacki in their Nov. 2018 WBO interim cruiserweight title fight.
In his most recent start, Vlasov scored a 10-round shutout of Emmanuel Martey in Nov. 2019. His 2020 campaign was limited to a canceled WBO title eliminator versus countryman Umar Salamov, who tested positive ahead of their oft-postponed and ultimately scrapped clash due to have taken place last fall.
The winner will claim the vacant WBO title left behind by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez more than a year ago in his bid to instead campaign at super middleweight.
The evening’s chief support pits Nigerian heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (14-0, 11KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout versus Georgia’s Brian Howard (15-4, 12KOs).
Ajagba—who is now based out of the greater Houston area—weighed 239.6 pounds for his second fight since signing with Top Rank and manager James Prince. Howard—a career cruiserweight who moved up in weight in 2019—checked in at a career-heaviest but well-distributed 218 pounds.
Both bouts air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Below are the weights for the undercard bouts which will air live on ESPN+ beginning 5:30 p.m. ET.
Robson Conceição (15-0, 7KOs), Salvador, Brazil, 128.4 pounds vs. Jesus Ahumada (17-3, 11KOs), Hermosillo, Mexico, 129 pounds—8 rounds, junior lightweight (129-pound contracted limit)
Jared Anderson (8-0, 8KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 251.8 pounds vs. Jeremiah Karpency (16-2-1, 6KOs), Morgantown, West Virginia, 226.6 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Duke Ragan (3-0, 1KO), Cincinnati, 125.8 pounds vs. Charles Clark (3-6-1, 1KO), Dallas, 126.6 pounds—6 rounds, featherweight
Albert Bell (17-0, 5KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 132.2 pounds vs. Manuel Rojas (20-4, 6KOs), Dallas, 132 pounds—8 rounds, junior lightweight
Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16KOs), Tulsa, 225.8 pounds vs. Jason Bergman (27-19-2, 18KOs), Birmingham, Alabama, 256 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2KOs), Las Vegas via Tulsa, 231.8 pounds vs. Jayvone Dafney (2-2, 2KOs), McComb, Mississippi, 222.6 pounds—4 rounds, heavyweight
Sonny Conto (6-0, 5KOs), Philadelphia, 230.4 pounds vs. Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3KOs), Phoenix, 262 pounds—4 rounds, heavyweight
BY JAKE DONOVAN
Published Fri Apr 09, 2021, 05:02 PM EDT
Two months later, Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov are ready to fight.
Both boxers made weight for their WBO light heavyweight title fight, which takes place Saturday evening live in front of a sold-out crowd at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Smith (26-3, 21KOs) weighed 174.8 pounds in his bid to become just the fourth-ever boxer from Long Island (New York) to win a major title. Russia’s Vlasov (45-3, 26KO) tipped the scale at 175 pounds for his first major title fight.
The two were due to meet on Feb. 13th at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Their scheduled ESPN headliner was postponed after Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19, with the news coming just two days prior to fight night.
Smith enters riding a two-fight win streak, including a 9th round knockout of former WBO titlist Eleider Alvarez last August in the MGM Bubble. The feat secured his place for a second career title fight, having come up well short in a 12-round decision defeat to unbeaten WBA 175-pound titlist Dmitry Bivol in March 2019.
Vlasov has won his last three starts, all coming at light heavyweight after moving down from cruiserweight. His last fight at the higher weight came in a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Krzysztof Glowacki in their Nov. 2018 WBO interim cruiserweight title fight.
In his most recent start, Vlasov scored a 10-round shutout of Emmanuel Martey in Nov. 2019. His 2020 campaign was limited to a canceled WBO title eliminator versus countryman Umar Salamov, who tested positive ahead of their oft-postponed and ultimately scrapped clash due to have taken place last fall.
The winner will claim the vacant WBO title left behind by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez more than a year ago in his bid to instead campaign at super middleweight.
The evening’s chief support pits Nigerian heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (14-0, 11KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout versus Georgia’s Brian Howard (15-4, 12KOs).
Ajagba—who is now based out of the greater Houston area—weighed 239.6 pounds for his second fight since signing with Top Rank and manager James Prince. Howard—a career cruiserweight who moved up in weight in 2019—checked in at a career-heaviest but well-distributed 218 pounds.
Both bouts air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Below are the weights for the undercard bouts which will air live on ESPN+ beginning 5:30 p.m. ET.
Robson Conceição (15-0, 7KOs), Salvador, Brazil, 128.4 pounds vs. Jesus Ahumada (17-3, 11KOs), Hermosillo, Mexico, 129 pounds—8 rounds, junior lightweight (129-pound contracted limit)
Jared Anderson (8-0, 8KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 251.8 pounds vs. Jeremiah Karpency (16-2-1, 6KOs), Morgantown, West Virginia, 226.6 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Duke Ragan (3-0, 1KO), Cincinnati, 125.8 pounds vs. Charles Clark (3-6-1, 1KO), Dallas, 126.6 pounds—6 rounds, featherweight
Albert Bell (17-0, 5KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 132.2 pounds vs. Manuel Rojas (20-4, 6KOs), Dallas, 132 pounds—8 rounds, junior lightweight
Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16KOs), Tulsa, 225.8 pounds vs. Jason Bergman (27-19-2, 18KOs), Birmingham, Alabama, 256 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2KOs), Las Vegas via Tulsa, 231.8 pounds vs. Jayvone Dafney (2-2, 2KOs), McComb, Mississippi, 222.6 pounds—4 rounds, heavyweight
Sonny Conto (6-0, 5KOs), Philadelphia, 230.4 pounds vs. Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3KOs), Phoenix, 262 pounds—4 rounds, heavyweight
i havent seen this fight since it aired...it was a good ass scrap...zurdo got hands put on him
he has a chance but all depends on if he can take joe's power or not...he's never been stopped..vlasov thankfully is not a technical fighter he will throw hands..plus he is getting over covid..which is another thing that can work in joe's favor
