The Last Crescendo: Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith: Live round-by-round updates
The Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith round-by-round updates are here. They provide fans with real-time coverage and live scoring of the upcoming interim light heavyweight title fight. Both men are at different stages of their careers, with Buatsi looking to climb his way to the top of the sport.
Smith, by contrast, has tasted a fraction of success at the very peak of boxing. He has held true world championship gold, not just an interim title, and he has also faced the who's who in the divisions he has competed in. Unfortunately, time is no longer on his side.
Buatsi is young with an undefeated 19-0 record. He reigns as the interim WBO light heavyweight champion, and his title will be up for grabs come fight night. He is also a slightly bigger puncher compared to Smith, having stopped 13 of his opponents.
By comparison, Smith is 30-2 with 22 stoppages. He is a former WBA (Super) super middleweight champion and has competed with the heavy-handed Artur Beterbiev, who headlines the event he is competing in, and the legendary Canelo Alvarez, losing to both.
Unfortunately for him, the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook expect him to lose to Buatsi, who is a -205 favorite, while he is a +165 underdog. The card starts at 10:00 AM E.T. (Eastern Time) / 7:00 AM P.T. (Pacific Time) and will be streamed on DAZN.
Meanwhile, the Buatsi vs. Smith fight is expected to start at around 12:00 PM E.T. / 9:00 AM P.T.
Follow Sportskeeda for play-by-play analysis and live scoring of the upcoming interim light heavyweight title fight.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith
Round 1: The round starts with the pair trading jabs, but they end up in the clinch before long, fighting for position. Buatsi lands some nice shots on the inside, while Smith lands an uppercut of his own. More dirty boxing from the pair, with Buatsi applying more pressure.
Finally, the referee breaks them up and they reset in the middle. Smith scores with a quick jab. He keeps finding a home for his jab, ducking under a Buatsi lunge and dragging him into the clinch. The two men stumble, with Smith falling, but it's no knockdown. As the fight resumes, there's more clinching.
Body jab lands for Smith. Buatsi is struggling to truly imose himself, but he's applying pressure. Nothing from him is landing clean right now, though.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith
Round 2: Buatsi starts the round with renewed focus, landing his jabs and dipping low to the body. However, Smith smothers him by clinching, leading to a dirty boxing exchange, with Buatsi pushing him against the ropes. The referee separates them, but they clinch almost immediately afterward.
Smith withh a nice jab, followed by a sneaky uppercut. Smith trying to string together combinations, landing jabs here and there. He stabs Buatsi's midsection with a body jab. More jabs from Smith, who seems to be in cruise control, landing a one-two against an increasingly frustrated Buatsi.
They clinch, with Smith's back to the ropes, but Buatsi struggles to make much happen. The referee separates them, and Smith lands a one-two and uppercut. A jab to the head and body lands for Smith, while Buatsi intercepts a level change with an uppercut of his own.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith overall
Round 3: More pressure from Buatsi, who eats several jabs from Smith. Buatsi tries to land his jabs, but he's just out of range. He manages to close the distance with a right hand, briefly backing Smith into the ropes. They quickly find their way back in the center, but Buatsi bullies Smith with the clinch again.
A right hand lands for Smith, while Buatsi finds a home for his jab. Uppercuts for Smith, who seems to be landing the more consequential blows despite lacking Buatsi's raw power. A brief clinch ensues, but the referee quickly breaks them up. Buatsi lands to the body with a jab.
He blasts Smith's midsection with an uppercut, nearly folding him over. Smith may have been hurt, and Buatsi pounces with a hard combination, but Smith survives a cagey moment. Smith lands his own body shot, but it seems that Buatsi had the bigger moment.
Our Score: 10-9 Buatsi, 29-28 Smith overall
Round 4: Jabs from both men to start off the round, with Buatsi applying pressure. He's finding his groove, landing a slick one-two, followed by a right hand. However, Smith isn't allowing himself to get walked down, and fires back with his own combinations, targeting his foe's body.
It's a close fight thus far, but Smith is battering Buatsi's midsection. A hard uppercut lands for Buatsi, snapping Smith's head up. Another uppercut. Smith quickly returns to the body shots, while Buatsi head-hunts with some one-twos and hooks. They clinch and engage in dirty boxing.
A left hook and uuppercut lands up close for Buatsi, whiile Smith answers with his own uppercut. There's a cut on the outer corner of Smith's right eyebrow. Buatsi lands a hard right hand, but Smith eats it well. This was a tough round to score.
Our Score: 10-9 Buatsi, 38-38 draw overall
Round 5: Jabs from both men to start off the round, but Buatsi seems to have gotten part of Smith's timing down. Body shots from Smith, as he invests in battering Buatsi's midsection. Buatsi is not liking these body shots, he almost hunches over every time Smith lands.
A one-two lands for Smith, who then cracks Buatsi with a hard check hook. More body shots from Smith, while Buatsi lands some good uppercuts as Smith dips low. Buatsi pressures Smith to the ropes, and they clinch. However, Smith reverses their positions and blasts Buatsi with combinations.
They reset in the center, but Smith clearly won this round.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith, 48-47 Smith overall
Round 6: More of the esame in round six, with pressure from Buatsi and body shots and counterpunches from Smith. They find themselves against the ropes, with Smith landing a good uppercut. Buatsi is keeping his elbows close to his midsection to shield himself from these body shots.
Smith continues investing in combinations to the body. He's aiming for a liver shot. They clinch and engage in an inside brawl. A big uppercut from Smith to the body, followed by a right hand over the top. Smith is on the front foot now, he is running away with the round now, as Buatsi seems to be tiring.
Buatsi giving up ground, as Smith backs him up to the ropes. Big shots from Smith, snapping Buatsi's head back. This is Smith's most dominant round by far. More combinations from Smith, but Buatsi catches with a thunderous check hook that wobbles Smith!
Our Score: 10-10, 58-57 Smitht overall
Round 7: A snappy jab lands for both men, with Smith trying to land a combination. Instead, he lands a body shot, which almost causes Buatsi to hunch over. Smith on the front foot again, landing combinations. However, Buatsi seems to have a second wind and fires back with his own combinations.
Jabs from Smith, with Buatsi landing a one-two. A counter-right thand lands for Smith, who then lands a one-two on Buatsi's midsection. A stinging jab lands for Smith, who follows with a right cross. Jabs from Buatsi, who intercepts a Smith lunge with a jab.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith, 68-66 Smith overall
Round 8: Buatsi with jabs, before Smith catches him with jabs of his own. Smith applies pressure, backing Buatsi up with combinations. However, the champion is trying to reassert himself, landing his own shots. Smith, though, lands a hard body shot, and it seems to be taking effect.
More pressure from Smith, who lands a short left hook on the inside. Buatsi, tthough, answers his offense with a combination of his own. A nice right cross lands for Smith, who continues to jabbing away. Buatsi with a one-two, and a hard jab. More hard shots from Buatsi.
A triple jab lands for Buatsi, who ends the round by rattling Smith with a wide right hook.
Our Score: 10-9 Buatsi, 77-76 Smith overall
Round 9: Jabs from Smith, who may not want to give up rounds in such a close fight. A body jab lands for Smith, while Buatsi unloads with a combination. Smith, though, fires back with his own combination. A jab from Smith snaps Buatsi's head back, followed by a short combination.
Left hook for Smith, while Buatsi lands his own left hook over the top. Another short hook from Smith, who strings together another combination. Both men continue trading hooks, with Smith initiating a clinch, causing the referee to separate them.
Buatsi with a two-punch combination, but Smith lands his own. Body shots for Smith, who continues pressuring Buatsi. However, Buatsi lands some hard shots of his own.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith, 87-85 Smith overall
Round 10: Smith is keeping his foot on the gas, landing combinations, while Buatsi is making reads, landing some snappy jabs. Uppercuts from Smith, while Buatsi starts landing his own, backing Smith up. They find themselves exchanging on the inside, with both men investing in the body.
Buatsi lands a sneaky uppercut and hard body shot. Smith backs away, trying to create separation, but Buatsi lands hard. He starts chasing Smith, who lands counters on the backfoot, but Buatsi is walking him down, landing shots to the body. They clinch and the referee separates them.
The fight devolves into a bit of a slugfest, but Smith lands two hard shots toward the end.
Our Score: 10-9 Buatsi, 96-95 Smith overall
Round 11: A big body shot lands for Buatsi, but Smith is quick on the trigger as well. However, Buatsi is relentless, walking him down with jabs until Smith initiates a clinch. They separate and Smith blasts his body with an upperrcut. But Buatsi continues his advance, landing his own body shot with Smith against the ropes.
Buatsi unloads with a combination, but lands to the back of the head, prompting the referee to step in with a warning. They resume and Smith tries to give as good as he is getting, but Buatsi seems determined. Smith is clinching more and more, but lands a nice inside uppercut.
Smith ends the round strong with a combination, but it's too, too late for him to steal it.
Our Score: 10-9 Buatsi, 105-105 overall
Round 12: More jabs from Buatsi, while Smith tries to land counters on the backfoot. They clinch and the referee breaks them up. Smith tries to advance, but Buatsi snipes him on his way. Buatsi on the front foot, but Smith is landing hard on the counter now, snapping Buatsi's head back.
Both men start trading, but Smith seems to be landing the snappier shots. He may have taken the previous round off for a last push now. Buatsi with some good jabs, backing Smith up with hard uppercutts to the body. A nice overhand right lands for Buatsi, while Smith lands a check hook.
Double left hooks from Smith, followed by jabs and one-twos. Smith is stealing this round, with it ending with an exchange.
Our Score: 10-9 Smith, 115-114 Smith overall
Official Result
Callum Smith def. Joshua Buatsi via unanimous decision (119-110, 115-113, 116-112)