Are you going for the second absolute at 39 years old? At the end of his career, Beterbiev found an unexpected challenge
Sergey Sorokin October 18, 2024, 16:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Arthur may leave on top, but he is ready to aim to dominate the new division.
On October 12, a great evening of professional boxing took place in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the main event of which was the long-awaited fight for the title of absolute world light heavyweight champion between the undefeated Russians Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
The fight was very close and became a true highlight of the entire year. And it ended naturally: with a judge’s decision. Most of the referees sided with Beterbiev and one more tied. As a result, Arthur became the absolute world champion. And now he’s seriously talking about moving to a new weight class.
Let’s remember the most interesting moments of the tournament:
Artur Beterbiev – Dmitry Bivol: The armored personnel carrier is the absolute world champion! Shocking ending
Of course, everyone is looking forward to Beterbiev’s rematch against Bivol. It is worth noting that Dmitry’s team first filed an appeal and then demanded an immediate rematch. Arthur himself does not reject it. But at the same time he highlights that there are several options to continue the race. And one of them even suggests moving to a new division: “There is such a thing, I am open to possible offers.”
Artur Beterbiev
Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Arthur could well be promoted to the first heavy division. And there are several prerequisites for this. First of all, Beterbiev finds it quite difficult to lose weight as he ages. And before the fight with Bivol, this was even called one of the determining factors, Dmitry’s advantage. Secondly, the division does not particularly shine with star names. This means that a Russian can not only go there, but can also quickly hang several belts on his shoulders at once. And there it will be possible to aspire to the title of absolute world champion in two weight categories at the same time.
Now it’s worth seeing who exactly has the belts in the first heavyweight division. The WBC title belongs to Bad Jack (28-3-3). He doesn’t have the most impeccable professional record. But at the same time I followed a similar path, moving up from the light heavyweight division. And in the top heavyweight division he has yet to lose to anyone and has four wins to his name. But it seems that Jack simply won’t be able to do anything special against Beterbiev. As does WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith (20-1). On the one hand, he has decent stats. On the other hand, there was no serious enough opposition to test his strength. In addition, on November 16 he will have to defend his belt in a confrontation with Gilberto Ramírez, who holds the WBA Super Champion title. And it can become an insurmountable obstacle. Bivol already defeated the Mexican. Therefore, Beterbiev should not have any problems with him.
Artur Beterbiev
Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing/Getty Images
And the most interesting opponent is Jay Opetaia, who owns the IBF belt. Experts rate him highly and he is considered the strongest representative of his division. The 29-year-old boxer has a professional record of 26-0 and looks almost flawless. And Russian coach Vitaly Slanov sees Opetaia as a serious threat: “He will definitely look better than Canelo. Opetaia is a very good boxer. I think Bivol may not win. Unlike him, Opetaia also hits hard.”
Artur Beterbiev
Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Arthur is a dangerous knockout fighter even at 39 years old. And instead of ending his career, he aims for an incredible achievement. The Russian can become an absolute world champion in two weight categories at once. But to do this you will have to make a very difficult decision. It will be difficult to refuse a rematch with Bivol. Beterbiev is well aware of how profitable the second fight could be.
