The knockouts -- 20 in 20 fights -- are what gets the headlines, and yes, Artur Beterbiev is a vicious, cold-blooded killer in the ring. He has incredible power in everything he throws, and he was moving Callum Smith when he was landing his jabs.
Beterbiev, though, is vastly more than just a heavy-handed slugger. He's a student of the game who is constantly working at getting better. He takes instruction well, and the plan on Saturday at the Videotron Center in Quebec City, Que., was to take away Callum Smith's counter left hook. He did that brilliantly.
His footwork is vastly underrated and he's always in position to punch. And because he's applying so much pressure, he forces his opponents to defend and not throw nearly as much as they normally do.
John Scully, a boxing historian and one of Beterbiev's assistant trainers, told keviniole.com he thinks Beterbiev ranks among the greatest 175-pounders in the sport's history. Beterbiev only has 20 fights, but Scully shrugged that off.
"We hear people say, 'Oh yeah, he doesn't have 55, 60, 65 fights like a lot of these guys do," Scully said. "But how many fights do you need to have before your performances speak for themselves? I mean, let's be fair here. If you showed a tape of the guys people think are the top guys ever, and then a tape of Artur, are you going to tell me people are going to see Artur and said,'Yeah, that guy only has 20 fights?' Just look at the video and study what he does. He's up there with all of them."
Smith is tall, lanky and a hard hitter, but he was no match for Beterbiev. Beterbiev backed him to the ropes and opened up with a six-punch combination in the opening seconds of the fight that established it would be a long night for the Englishman.
Smith had never been down in his amateur or professional career, but he hit the canvas twice in the fateful seventh round. The beginning of the end came when Beterbiev eluded a shot and threw a right that landed on the side of Smith's head. It badly wobbled him and left him like a fawn on ice.
Smith beat the count the first time, but the second time he went down, his trainer, Buddy McGirt, had slipped through the ropes to prevent any more punishment. The finish came at 2:00 of the seventh.
Beterbiev likes to do as little talking as possible but his fists speak loudly for him. In the ring after the bout, he attributed his win to luck.
You could call what he does luck: He's got a gift from God, with a great talent for this sport, and he's clearly made the most of it.
"We had a couple strategies," Beterbiev said. "We always have more than one. We need to be prepared for several strategies. He gave me a good fight. He stayed strong. Thanks to him. Today, luck was on my side."
He retained his WBC, WBO and IBF belts, and now is targeting a bout against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. Beterbiev promoter Bob Arum said in the ring he wants to take that fight to Saudi Arabia and suggested it could be done for July. Beterbiev and Bivol are each among the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and that bout would be a classic.
Smith left impressed by what he'd seen. His face looked like he pummeled by a gang of thieves carrying billy clubs after less than seven full rounds in the ring with Beterbiev.
"He's a good champion and a good fighter," Smith said in tribute. "Good momentum and good pressure and look, the best man won tonight."
He's been the best man on every night of his career. And as good as Bivol is, he's going to have to do something extraordinary to change that.