Joe Smith Jr. & Maxim Vlasov Set for Light Heavyweight World Title Showdown April 10 at Tulsa’s Osage Casino LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+
If at first you can’t fight, try again.
Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov are headed to the Sooner State
to fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title Saturday, April
10 at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
They were originally scheduled to fight Feb. 13, but Vlasov tested positive
for COVID-19 prior to the weigh-in, forcing a postponement.
In the 10-round co-feature, unbeaten heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba will
take on Brian “MVP” Howard.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and
Tony Holden Productions, Smith-Vlasov and Ajagba-Howard will be broadcast
live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m.
PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:30p.m.
ET/2:30 p.m. PT, including a trio of big-punching heavyweights: Jared “The
Real Big Baby” Anderson and Tulsa natives Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16
KOs) and Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2 KOs).
Ticket information for this world championship event will be announced
shortly.
“Joe Smith Jr. deserves this opportunity, and I know Maxim Vlasov will give
him a great challenge,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “The light
heavyweight division is one of the hottest in boxing, and the winner will
have no shortage of lucrative opportunities.”
Smith (26-3, 21 KOs), the “Common Man” from Long Island, hopes his 2021
kicks off where 2020 concluded. Last August, he broke through inside the
MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, knocking former world champion Eleider “Storm”
Alvarez out and through the ropes. Smith has won three straight bouts since
his first world title opportunity in March 2019, a unanimous decision loss
to Dmitry Bivol. He became a household name in boxing in 2016 when he
knocked living legend Bernard Hopkins through the ropes and into retirement.
“I am extremely motivated after all I have been though in my career,” Smith
said. “I am proud of all I have accomplished, and I am confident I will
bring the belt home on April 10 and move forward with my goal of unifying
belts and proving I am the best light heavyweight in the world.”
Said Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, “We all worked very hard to get
Smith and Vlasov back in the ring as soon as possible, not just for the
fans that love to watch the ‘Common Man’ fight, but for Joe, who is very
anxious to become world champion. The blue-collar banger that is Joe Smith
Jr. will be ready to fight and thrill the fans. He is laser-focused and
fully intends on bringing the WBO world title to Long Island on April 10.”
Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs), from Samara, Russia, is 3-0 at light heavyweight
since moving down from cruiserweight, where he became a top contender and
challenged for an interim world title. He had a banner 2019 at light
heavyweight, knocking out the 14-1 Omar Garcia, avenging a previous defeat
with a unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba, and shutting out the 15-0
Emmanuel Martey over 10 rounds.
“I am ready to return to the ring and become the new WBO light heavyweight
world champion,” Vlasov said. “The postponement was a minor setback, but it
will be worth the wait when I have that belt around my waist.”
Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, is one of world boxing’s
most accomplished young heavyweights. At 26 years old, he’s already knocked
out the likes of longtime contender Amir Mansour and former world title
challenger Razvan Cojanu. He made his Top Rank debut last September and
outlasted veteran Jonathan Rice via decision over 10 rounds. Howard (15-4,
12 KOs) is an 11-year pro who has split a pair of bouts since moving up to
heavyweight. In August 2019, he knocked out 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian
Carlos Negron in the first round.
Use the hashtag #SmithVlasov to join the conversation on social media. For
more information, visit www.toprank.com
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