Artur Beterbiev dominated Callum Smith over seven savage rounds in Quebec to retain his WBC, WBO and IBF world titles, reiterating his position as the division’s number one. 

At 39 years old, it would be typical in most cases to say the Russian rolled back the years, but he didn’t. Such dismantlement is standard Beterbiev practice, he works in a painful pattern. 

For Smith, that pattern seemed to follow taking excessive blows from minute one until minute 20, when Buddy McGirt entered the ring to stop the assault, and thankfully so.  

Because it was a slow, methodical, yet brutal type of beating. Smith was brave, but brutality beats bravery, and on this viewing, beats it quite hard too. 

The pair’s long periods of inactivity was ended by an intriguing first round, in which Beterbiev made it clear that he didn’t want Smith to gain any confidence, with any of the Brit’s work promptly smothered. 

Smith did land several jabs in the second, but they seemed ineffective in comparison to Beterbiev, who himself throws even a purposeless jab with perennial force. 

A thumping right hand was followed by a sweet uppercut in the third by Beterbiev. 

Perhaps now sensing Smith’s discomfort, he urged a trade-off, but the challenger did well, landing repetitive left-hooks as the fourth came to a close. 

Yet it was the regularity and reliability of Beterbiev’s work that was breezing him the fight. Smith had blood pouring from the nose in the fifth, adding to an already battle-scarred face. 

It was becoming a tough night for the Liverpudlian. 

Whatever McGirt relayed in the corner, Smith struggled to put into practice. He was constantly disrupted by the unremitting volume of work which Beterbiev administers. 

Then came the seventh, and the beginning of the end. A firm right hand stumbled Smith, who was then encased by some heavy artillery Beterbiev work, causing him to hit the deck. 

That was a career first for Smith, and considering so he used his time well, rising after eight in the hope of seeing the round through. 

He couldn’t. 

Like the barbaric hunter he is, Beterbiev severed up a battering for the already-wounded Smith. Down again, it was his trainer McGirt who stepped in to conclude proceedings. 

A brilliant performance from Beterbiev, who began the week hitting the headlines for an ‘atypical’ finding of HGH and testosterone from two VADA collected samples. 

I guess when it’s a fighter the boxing community adore, we don’t need to ask questions. 

Next for Beterbiev HAS to be Dmitry Bivol, in undeniably the most sought-after fight in the sport. 

Time to look to His Excellency for that little sprinkle of magic dust… and money. 

For Smith, well, the British light-heavyweight scene could provide an intriguing rebound. However, whether he is willing to fight at the rung below the elite level is of course to be seen. 

I hope he is, because Smith vs either Anthony Yarde, or the winner of Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez is an arena filler, and my word does Britain need a few of those in 2024.

Oscar Bevis