A new date has been set for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight title fight between Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs) and Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs).
According to a press release sent out by Top Rank, Smith and Vlasov will meet on April 10 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on ESPN. The pair were supposed to square off last month, but Vlasov was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19.
“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, a 31-year-old Long Island native, rose to prominence when he brutally knocked out the legendary Bernard Hopkins in 2016. He then scored a knockout victory over Melvin Russell in 2018 that earned him his first shot at a world title, although he came up short when he faced Dmitry Bivol for the WBA Light Heavyweight title in March 2019.
2020 was a bounce-back year for Smith, though, as he began the year off with a split-decision victory over Jesse Hart and ended it with another vicious knockout victory over former world champion Eleider Alvarez.
“I am extremely motivated after all I have been through 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.”
The 34-year-old Vlasov, meanwhile, is a veteran of the sport who previously established himself as a contender in the Cruiserweight division, where he challenged for an interim world title. Since moving down to Light Heavyweight, he’s gone 3-0, knocking out Omar Garcia before scoring back-to-back decision victories over Issac Chilemba and Emmanuel Martey.
However, it’s important to note that the Russian hasn’t competed since 2019.
“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.”
