The best light heavyweight champion in boxing is set to return and take care of business March 20, when Artur Beterbiev will take on Adam Deines.

But does the challenger have a chance? Let's dive into the fight and make a pick.

Beterbiev returns after lengthy layoff

Beterbiev is one of the scariest champions in boxing and boasts the kind of blunt force in his fists that results in breathtaking beatings. He has been out of the ring for nearly two years, but he should get back into the swing of things against Deines.

At 36, Beterbiev has spent little time going through the natural boxing process. He won his world title five fights ago and unified it with a vicious, 10th-round knockout win of Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Time may not be on Beterbiev’s side, but he has the kind of Eastern European style that relies more on pure fundamentals than athleticism. Fighters with that build tend to last longer than most.

Deines is a considerable underdog

Deines got this shot because Beterbiev’s team couldn’t finalize terms with his original mandatory opponent, Meng Fanlong. Fanlong defeated Deines in an uneventful fight in July of 2019, when neither man looked effective enough to survive against the champion.

What Deines has going for him is that he has decent power, and fighting in a southpaw stance could give Beterbiev some pause. Still, the only real chance Deines has is theoretical, at best.

Beterbiev will look devastating in victory

We’ve seen Beterbiev dole out horrific beatings, and the Gvodzdyk fight saw him take his fair share of return fire. His power alone is enough to ensure only the best of the division can stand up to him, and that isn’t Deines.

This is a fight to reintroduce the inactive champion back to television audiences via a dominant knockout.

Because Deines can sometimes get rough, and the natural style difficulties that come when an orthodox fighter faces a southpaw, he may be able to last a few rounds and keep the fight at a slow pace.

It won’t last long.

Beterbiev should whittle Deines' resolve in short order and end the fight within five rounds.

Boxing pick: Beterbiev