Three of the four world light-heavyweight belts are on the line today as Artur Beterbiev puts his WBC and IBF straps against WBO champion Joe Smith Jr at the world-famous Madison Square Garden. Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) is the knockout artist, while Smith Jr (28-3, 22 KOs) has the pedigree of more famous names on his CV and has the home crowd with him in what promises to be a fascinating clash of styles.
Ring walks are expected at approximately 11 pm ET / 4 am BST (Sunday morning). The fight is available on standard cable and satellite channels in the US, UK and Australia, including a free streaming option. Make sure you know how to get a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream from wherever you are.
Date: Saturday 18th June 2022
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
Start time: 9 pm ET / 2 am BST (Sun) / 11am AEST (Sun)
Ring walks: 11 pm ET / 4 am BST (Sun) / 2pm AEST (Sun)
FREE Aus stream: Kayo Sports (14-day free trial)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN
UK stream: Sky Sports / Now TV
US stream: ESPN+
Artur Beterbiev is a contender for one of the biggest knockout artists in world boxing today. The 37-year-old Russian, who now lives in Canada, has stopped every one of his 17 opponents so far in an impressive professional career in which he has held a version of the world title since 2014. A brilliant amateur who fought at the 2008 Olympics – losing controversially to home favourite and eventual gold medallist Zhang Xiaoping – Beterbiev has evolved his front-foot pressure style into an aggressive one-punch philosophy which is yet to miss its mark.
Joe Smith Jr may be the big underdog coming into the fight, but the Long Island native will certainly have the benefit of the home turf in his back pocked as he looks to add Beterbiev's WBC and IBF belts to his own WBO strap he picked up in a controversial April 2020 decision against Maxim Vlasov.
The Irish Bomber packs a strong right hand, one which was good enough to defeat former two-weight world champion Bernard Hopkins earlier in his career. He hasn't quite managed to live with the elite, however, and lost to Dmitry Bivol in March 2019.
The fight takes place over 12 rounds in the light-heavyweight division at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, New York, United States. Boxing fans will be treated to a packed card featuring two-time Olympic gold medallist Cuban Robeisy Ramirez vs Abraham Nova over 10 rounds in the featherweight, plus a handful of local up-and-coming prospects as yet awaiting opponents including Bruce Carrington and Jahi Tucker.
Fans in the US can enjoy the fight tonight (Sunday morning in the UK and Australia). Make sure you know how to watch a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream from where you are.
AUS: Watch a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr FREE live stream
Those in Australia can watch Beterbiev vs Smith for free with a Kayo Sports free trial. ESPN is the rights holder for the the big fight in Australia and you can tune into ESPN on the Kayo Sports platform. Ring walks will be at approximately 2pm AEST on Sunday afternoon.
You can sign up to the Kayo Sports 14-day free trial, enjoy the fight, and then either cancel or continue to enjoy all the great sports on the platform for as long as you like. It costs just AU$25 a month.
Going to be outside the country at the time of the match? Use a VPN to watch Kayo from abroad as if you were back at home in Australia.
Watch a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream from abroad with a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Beterbiev vs Smith Jr rights holders, you won't be able to access these streaming services when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN.
How to use a VPN
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the boxing you may wish to choose 'Australia' for Kayo Sports.
3. Then head over to Hulu Live on your browser or device and enjoy the Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream.
If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.
US: Watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr free live stream
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr is available in the States on cable channel ESPN. You can also watch via ESPN+, and even catch a free live stream of the fight through cable-cutting service Hulu Live thanks to the 7-day free trial of Hulu Live.
Other US options for watching Beterbiev vs Smith Jr are on Sling ($35 per month) and FuboTV ($69.99/month). Sling currently has an offer where you can get the first month of access with a 50% discount. Meanwhile, you can watch a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream with a 7-day FuboTV free trial.
Away from the US right now?
US nationals can access US streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.
We recommend ExpressVPN, which comes with a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee. Full details below.
Watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream in UK
Boxing fans in the UK will be able to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action in HD. Take a look at the best Sky TV deals if you're interested in signing up and watching this fight and many more in top quality.
Even without a Sky subscription, fans can stream the amazing sport that Sky Sports have to offer with a Now day pass (£10) or monthly pass (£34). Just make sure you've got your VPN handy if you're stuck abroad.
BT Sport customers can also enjoy the game so long as they're subscribed to the BT Sport Big Bundle which includes the Sky Sports channels as well as the BT ones. You can add it to your BT package for £40 per month.
Out of the country this weekend? UK nationals travelling abroad can access their Sky Sports or Now TV package from where they are with a VPN. Details just above.
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr full card
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr – 12 rounds, WBC, IBF, WHO world light-heavyweight titles
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova– 10 rounds, featherweight
Bruce Carrington vs. TBA – 6 rounds, featherweight
Jahi Tucker vs TBA – 6 rounds, welterweight
Troy Isley vs. TBA – 6 rounds, middleweight
Kurt Walker vs TBA – 4 rounds, featherweight
Kieran Molloy vs TBA – 4 rounds, junior middleweight
Wendy Toussaint vs Asinia Byfield – 8 rounds, super welterweight
Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon – 6 rounds, super welterweight
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