We have been waiting for this moment for almost two more months. Joe The Beast Smith Jr. vs Maxim Vlasov is coming this Saturday, April 10, at the Osage Casino, Oklahoma. This fight was originally scheduled for February 13, but Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19 before the weigh-in, which forced the suspension of the clash. The highly anticipated fight between Smith Jr. and Vlasov for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title is finally taking place tomorrow. 

How Did Joe Smith Jr. Get Here?

Smith Jr. is a boxer who debuted his professional career at the age of 20 with a KO to David Brown in the first round. His credit boasts a WBC International Light Heavyweight Title. He is also the first boxer to beat with a KO to former undisputed world middleweight champion, Bernard Hopkins, who after that fight opted for retirement.

The Beast has not been active in the ring for 231 days. Let’s review his last few performances. At the MGM Grand Conference Center, he defeated Eleider Alvarez with a KO at the 26th second of the ninth round. He also had a victory on January 11, 2020, where he managed to get his 25th victory against Jesse Hart by unanimous decision. His last defeat was against Dmitry Bivol who got the victory by majority decision on March 9, 2019. Smith currently has a record of 26 wins, 21 by KO, and only 3 defeats.

You can watch a recap of Smith Jr.’s last fight here:

How Did Maxim Vlasov Get Here?

Before the suspension of the fight in February, Vlasov expressed, “I am devastated with the postponement of my world title fight against Joe Smith Jr. I have been following strict protocols, have had periodic tests with negative results and am symptom free. I am well prepared and had an excellent training camp. I look forward to the rescheduling of the fight and the opportunity to show my world class skills”. Let’s hope to see a great version of the experienced 34-year-old Russian, who already has 15 years as a professional boxer under his belt. Vlasov’s record shows that he has been defeated by KO.

Maxim Vlasov’s record as a professional is 45 wins, 26 by KO, and only 3 defeats, all by unanimous decision. However, although the record seems positive for Maxim, we must take into account that he has had 497 days of inactivity. In his last clash, he faced Emmanuel Martey who he defeated by unanimous decision. In the same year, he also won a victory by the same method on July 20 against Isaac Chilemba, where he achieved the vacant EBP Light Heavyweight Title. Vlasov’s last victory by TKO was against Omar Garcia where he won within the first minute of the fourth round. It is worth noting that all of the last three victories were obtained in his country, and at his last fight within North American territory, he suffered a defeat against Krzysztof Glowacki by unanimous decision.

You can watch a recap of Vlasov’s last fight here:

When and Where to Watch the Fight?

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Title bout with Smith vs. Vlasov will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Betting Line

Predictions

• Joe Smith Jr: 1.26
• Maxim Vlasov: 3.5
• Draw: 25.0

The post A Fight For the World Title- Smith Jr. vs Vlasov appeared first on Gambyl.