Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi opened what has been billed ad nauseam as the greatest card on paper in boxing history with one of the great fights to this point in 2025.
The British light heavyweights stood toe-to-toe in the center of the ring for much of the bout and battered each other with brutal shots to the body and crunching head shots.
Smith's power shots were the difference in a unanimous decision victory. Steve Gray had a ridiculously wide, and flat-out wrong, 119-110, margin for Smith. Antonio Marogna had it 116-112 and Richard Blouin scored it 115-113 for Smith, who won the interim WBO light heavyweight belt for his efforts. I scored it 114-114.
Smith out-landed Buatsi 272-247 overall, but he had a 218-127 edge in power shots. That was decisive in a tight and taught fight.
Both were injured at times by body shots. In the sixth round, Smith had Buatsi reeling around the ring in serious trouble, looking as if he may go down. But with about 15 seconds left, Buatsi blasted Smith with a blistering left that left Smith reeling.
Smith, whose only defeats have come to legends Artur Beterbiev and Canelo Alvarez, handed Buatsi his first career defeat.
They put on a such a show that Smith promoter Eddie Hearn was frequently on his feet encouraging Smith.