‘Absolute beast!’ Russia's Beterbiev maintains 100% KO record as he beats Gvozdyk to unify light heavyweight titles (VIDEO)

Russia’s Artur Beterbiev added the WBC light heavyweight crown to his IBF title as he stopped Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 10th round of a pulsating fight in Philadelphia.

Beterbiev, 34, put the previously unbeaten Gvozdyk down three times in the 10th round before referee Gary Rosato waved off the contest. 

Beterbiev improved his perfect record to 15 wins from 15 professional fights – with all of his victories coming via KO/TKO, making him the only current world boxing champion with a 100 percent knockout record. 

Both fighters stated their intent early, throwing big shots from the outset as any notion of caution was cast aside.   

Gvozdyk showed good combination work but was forced to take some big body shots from Beterbiev in the fifth, while the sixth round saw an epic exchange as both fighters landed huge hits.

But Beterbiev stepped it up as the bout wore on, hurting his opponent with a straight left to the body early in the ninth, heralding the beginning of the end for the Ukrainian.

The Russian continued the barrage in the 10th, finishing the fight with an onslaught of right and left-hand shots that forced Gvozdyk to take a knee and the referee to step in.

The light heavyweight division could see the mouth-watering prospect of an all-Russian showdown between Beterbiev and the unbeaten Dmitry Bivol, who boasts 17 wins from his 17 bouts.

However, Beterbiev will next have to negotiate a mandatory defence against undefeated Chinese fighter Meng Fanlong, with reports that promoter Bob Arum is aiming to hold that bout in China around the time of New Year in the country.