On Saturday, Joe Smith Jr. will finally get to do what he’s been wanting and walk down the ring to defend his WBO light heavyweight title at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
However, as it turns out, his opponent for this fight is no other than Steve Geffrard. The person originally scheduled to be fighting him on ESPN 2 with Callum Johnson was not. The fighter who tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days ago altered their matchup suddenly!
What was supposed to happen when Smith walked into that center of attention? Instead, he’ll now be facing off against a tough guy like Geffrard right inside TRSC, which has a fascinating history of being used as a boxing arena across many years since its inception back in 1962.
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard Live
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard: The Fight Week Details
This section will discuss the necessary details of Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve. If you want to know all the information in one place, please get in touch with us. We have collected all the information from authentic information. Without further due, let’s start.
- Fight Date: Saturday, January 15
- Fight Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in the show)
- Fight Venue: Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York
- Live TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
- Division: Light heavyweight
- At Stake: Smith’s WBO title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Smith 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Abraham Nova vs. William Encarnacion, featherweights; Lyubomir Pinchuk vs. Jose Mario Flores, heavyweights
- Prediction: Smith KO 8
Background of the Fight
In April, Smith won the WBC heavyweight title after coming back from a three-year layoff to defeat journeyman Denis Grachev. After being battered by Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol, he followed up his loss with an impressive one-sided victory over Jesse Hart, which set him up as Maxim Vlasov’s next opponent for the vacant title.
Smith was supposed to have made his first defense against Callum Johnson, but this fight got canceled when Callum tested positive for COVID19 at weighing. Geffrard stepped in on eight days’ notice, beating out battle-weary Denis Grachev, who had been away from the sport for nearly three years earlier that month by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden.
Smith, who is originally from Long Island and was supposed to fight Umar Salamov for the world title next month, has agreed to a back-to-back bout against Steve Johnson. Smith said: “I give credit where credit is due,” before adding that he expects his opponent’s toughest battle yet.
With this new information in mind, it appears as though the Russian fighter withdrew on account of not having an entry visa with him at that time. So now Steve Johnson will have a chance to take advantage of this opportunity with another champion. The opponent who faces opponents is much more difficult than Smith had anticipated.
The Professional Career of Joe Smith Jr
In September of 2014, Smith Jr. signed a promotional contract with Star Boxing (Joe DeGuardia). Joe had numerous offers from other promoters, but he knew that Joe DeGuardia was the best option for his career development.
Before this agreement, Smith Jr.’s skills were already known in the area – by securing him as one of their headliners at “Rockin’ Fights” events and then transitioning to light heavyweight world champion status in 2016.
- Joe Smith Jr vs. Andrzej Fonfara at UIC Pavilion on June 18, 2016
- Joe Smith Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins at the Forum on December 17, 2016
- Joe Smith Jr vs. Dmitry Bivol at Turning Stone Casino on March 9, 2019
- Joe Smith Jr vs. Jesse Hart at Hard Rock Hotel on January 11, 2020
- Joe Smith Jr vs. Eleider Alvarez at the Bubble (MGM Grand) on August 22, 2020
- Joe Smith Jr vs. Maxim Vlasov at Osage, Casino on April 10, 2021
Joe Smith Jr Bio & Records
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: September 20, 1989
- Height: 6-0
- Reach: 76″
- Total Fights: 30
- Record: 27-3 with 21 knockouts.
The Professional Career of Steve Geffrard
Geffrard, a Miami native who had never fought professionally, was supposed to fight Gonzalo Andresen on January 8 but was pulled from the bout. He made his pro debut in 2013, and since losing two consecutive attacks, he has won 18 in a row before fighting Denis Grachev last year.
The 31-year-old is 12 wins by knockout at this point of his career; while fighting Denis Grachev last March, he became one of eight fighters that have finished three different men inside two rounds during their UFC career.
- Steve Geffrard vs. Samuel Miller at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on March 06, 2016
- Steve Geffrard vs. Zoltan Sera at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on March 23, 2018
- Steve Geffrard vs. Denis Grachev at Delray Beach Boxing Club on March 04, 2021
Steve Geffrard Bio & Records
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: Not Available
- Height: 6’-2″
- Reach: Not Available
- Total Fights: 20
- Record: 18-2 with 12 knockouts.
How to Watch Smith Jr vs Geffrard Live
As the fight is taking place in the US, live streaming will be available on ESPN, and users can watch it on ESPN+. In addition to this, BT Sports holds broadcasting rights for the UK. DAZN has provided a subscription service that allows viewers worldwide to view fights as they take place anywhere at any time- all with one low price!
- United States: ESPN, ESPN+
- United Kingdom: BT Sport
- Worldwide: DAZN
Conclusion
Joe Smith Jr vs. Steve Geffrard fight date announced; as a replacement for Callum Johnson, Geffrard will face Joe Smith for the WBO Light Heavyweight title at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. This is a pay-per-view event, and the details of broadcast deals are revealed on this page.
We have also shared the live streaming link on this page. We hope you have everything you need to know about Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard. Our goal is to share relevant information with people to get it quickly whenever you need it.
