Callum Smith produces stunning knockout as medics rush to check on opponent

Callum Smith crumbled Mathieu Bauderlique with a scorching left hook after a barnburner on the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk II undercard. 

In a similar fashion to the way he flatlined Lenin Castillo on the bill of the first Usyk-Joshua fight in London, Smith impressed once again at light-heavyweight. But it wasn’t easy. The fight was a shoot-out for as long as it lasted with Bauderlique willingly engaging in the pocket with the former world super-middleweight champion.

From the off, both men jumped on each other and began digging in spiteful shots. The volume came from Bauderlique, while the cleaner work came from Smith. Then, in the third round, Smith started to target the body as he took to the centre of the ring, backing up the Frenchman against the ropes.

As the tides began to turn, Smith only increased his output and in the following round, he found the breakthrough with a perfectly timed left hook that dropped his adversary. Bauderlique responded to the count but was down again from the same shot a few seconds later as the referee waved off the contest.

He now looks to become a two-weight world champion and moves to 2-0 at light-heavyweight. However, Smith will have to wait until 2023 after Beterbiev’s WBO mandatory defence against Anthony Yarde was postponed till next year due to an undisclosed injury sustained by the Russian.

Hearn revealed post-fight that Smith will stay active in the meantime and box in November or December next.