Photos: Beterbiev Breaks Down, Stops Gvozdyk To Unify Titles

Liacouras Center, Philadelphia - In an IBF, WBC light heavyweight unification between two undefeated world champions, Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) kept his knockout streak in place as he stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KOs) in the tenth round. (photos by Mikey Williams)

Beterbiev came right out with the pressure and was coming forward. Gvozdyk was fighting off the back-foot with his jab and combinations. At the end of the round, the Beterbiev sort of wrestled with Gvozdyk and sent him down. The referee counted it as a knockdown, as the crowd was booing. There was an instant replay call that overturned the knockdown to a slip.

beterbiev-gvozdyk-fight (9)

Gvozdyk's jab was giving Beterbiev a lot of trouble in the second round. He was outboxing him and stopping his charge. Beterbiev began to land a few punches in the closing moments. The third was more of Gvozdyk's boxing abilities controlling the action and Beterbiev coming on at the end. In the fourth, Gvozdyk was changing up his strategies and landing a lot of his punches.

gvozdyk-atlas (1)

Beterbiev was landing well in the fifth and doing damage. And he continued to do the better work with the harder shots to the head and body in the sixth. Gvozdyk landed two good shots in the final seconds, with Beterbiev connecting as well. Both had their moments in the eight.

beterbiev-gvozdyk-fight (3)

Beterbiev went on a rampage in the ninth, landing hard shots to the head and body. He had Gvozdyk hurt and in trouble and looking for air. A variety of hard shots in the tenth sent Gvozdyk down to his knees. Gvozdyk made it up but more punches came in and sent down for a second time. Once again he made it up, and once again Beterbiev sent him down - as the referee waved it off.

beterbiev-gvozdyk-fight (1)