By Jake Donovan

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series hits CBS, with Saturday’s edition featuring a pair of light heavyweight bouts. In the headliner at Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Adonis Stevenson defends his World lineal championship versus Sakio Bika.

Opening the telecast, rising unbeaten contender Artur Beterbiev squares off versus former titlist Gabriel Campillo in a dangerous crossroads bout for both fighters. 

Beterbiev (7-0, 7KOs) has been aggressively matched since turning pro less than two years ago. The two-time Olympian for his native Russia has since relocated to Canada, where all of his pro fights have taken place to date. None have yet to go beyond the 4th round, including a two-round stoppage of former titlist Tavoris Cloud last September, in a scheduled 12-round regional title fight. 

His last ring appearance was the closest anyone has come to knocking off any of the new penny shine. Beterbiev found himself on the canvas early in his bout with fellow unbeaten light heavyweight Jeff Page Jr., but quickly recovered and reminded his opponent and the boxing public of what makes him special, rallying for a 2nd round knockout last December. 

The well-traveled Campillo (25-6-1, 12KOs) enjoyed a stretch as boxing’s sympathetic cause, known for his knack of landing on the wrong end of debatable decisions. One such controversially scored affair ended his light heavyweight title reign, as he was blatantly robbed in his Jan. ’10 rematch with Beibut Shumenov in Las Vegas. 

It happened again in back-to-back fights, when he was held to a draw with Karo Murat – 2½ years after dropping a debatable decision and with both fights taking place on the road in Germany – and then dropped a horribly scored 12-round affair to then-titlist Cloud in Feb. ’12. 

The latter setback resonated with the Spanish southpaw, though a far more convincing loss would follow in his next bout nearly one year later. Campillo was expected to serve as a litmus test for a then-sparsely known rising light heavyweight named Sergei Kovalev, but instead ran into a buzzsaw as he was violently stopped inside of three rounds of their Jan. ’13 clash.

The bout kickstarted a breakout campaign for Kovalev, while the industry was ready to close the book on Campillo. A thrilling-in-defeat knockout loss to Andrzej Fonfara later that August – as part of one of the best cards of 2013, and easily the best ESPN2 Friday Night Fights show in recent years – was thought to be the end of his days as a relevant contender.

New life was breathed into his career, rallying to knock out unbeaten prospect Thomas Williams Jr. in five rounds last August and also on ESPN2. The feat is the most significant among a current three-fight win streak for the 36-year old upset-minded ring veteran. 

Read on to see how the staff at BoxingScene.com believes the crossroads bout will play out Saturday afternoon in Quebec City.

BOXINGSCENE.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS: ARTUR BETERBIEV vs. GABRIEL CAMPILLO

Ryan Burton (Beterbiev TKO): Campillo has seen better days and I don't think he sees the second half of the fight. Beterviev in 4.  

Jake Donovan (Beterbiev TKO4): In a fight where both fighters hit the deck, Beterbiev recovers to knock out Campillo. 

David Greisman (Beterbiev TKO): It's tempting to go with the spoiler, to look at the knockdown Beterbiev suffered in his last fight and the upset that Campillo scored over Thomas Williams Jr. last year. As good as Campillo can be, he also fades under heavy punishment, as we saw with Fonfara and as we saw with Kovalev. I look for the 30-year-old Beterbiev to grind down the 36-year-old Campillo for the technical knockout win.

Peter Lim (Beterbiev KO5): Crossroads fights are typically intriguing because it pits youth versus experience. But when the young gun (Beterbiev) has already fought and annihilated a former titleholder (Tavoris Cloud) who previously defeated the veteran contender (Campillo), it boils down to a mismatch. The rookie Russian demolishes the seasoned Spaniard inside of five rounds.

Takahiro Onaga (Beterbiev TKO3): Campillo used to be excellent fighter but always have question about durability. Beterbiev not complete article but he like wrecking ball. Not good combination for old Campillo.

John MacDonald (Beterbiev KO 5): If you are the goods - live Kovalev - you stops Campillo, if not you get found out - like Cloud and Shumenov. Beterbiev may have to show some of the skills that brought him success as an amateur en route to stopping the skilful Spaniard.

Per-Ake Persson (Beterbiev Dec. or late TKO): Campillo is a very competent allround fighter and might give Beterbiev a tougher fight than most think but the Russian should be too strong and fresh. 

Cliff Rold (Beterbiev KO): Campillo, if he gets going, could be a good technical test. I think Beterbiev gets to him before Campillo can swim him to deep waters. 

Victor Salazar (Beterbiev mid-rds TKO): Beterbiev will be taking on his second named fighter in the past 3 who still might have something left but surely isn’t in his prime. He ended Tavoris Cloud in two rounds two fights ago. While Campillo upset the apple card against Thomas Williams Jr, I’m not sure his legs will hold on to the onslaught that Beterbiev will bring. Campillo may have his moments but I think a mid-round TKO will be the ending come Saturday.
 
Reynaldo Sanchez (Campillo UD): The last chance for Campillo, Beterviev is in great shape but Campillo looks better technically. 

Alexey Sukachev (Beterbiev TKO3): Artur has talked the talk. Now he needs to backup his words in the ring. Can he? Yes, if he is fast, precise and doesn't allow the fight to go past four-five rounds. Otherwise, he will be outboxed to either a close loss or a robbery win (which is also not so good). So, it depends on how spent Campillo really is. He is still capable of some surprizes as Thomas Williams (and Al Haymon) got to know. The problem is that the Spaniard has a tendency to lose crushingly to ex-Soviets (Uzelkov, Kovalev), and Beterbiev should be no different.

Totals:
Beterbiev–10
Campillo–1

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox