Beterbiev Wants To Put Kovalev 'Back In His Place'

By Keith Idec

Adonis Stevenson isn’t the only hard-hitting, Quebec-based light heavyweight who’s been answering a lot of questions lately about Sergey Kovalev.

Fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev also has been asked often about boxing Kovalev, the IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion. Kovalev wants nothing more than a unification fight against Stevenson, but Beterbiev beat Kovalev twice when they were amateurs.

Beterbiev (7-0, 7 KOs) acknowledged on a recent conference call to discuss his fight Saturday against Gabriel Campillo that he is intrigued by a potential third fight against Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs). The emerging prospect also seemed annoyed because Kovalev has downplayed the significance of Beterbiev’s victories over him before they turned pro.

Kovalev told BoxingScene.com recently that judges “gave” Beterbiev a win in their second fight and that he’d “punish” Beterbiev in a pro fight the inexperienced contender still needs to earn.

“Taking into consideration all his statements that he recently produced,” Beterbiev said through a translator, “I would like to meet with him and put him back in his place in professional [boxing].”

The 30-year-old Beterbiev didn’t’ dwell on those two noteworthy wins, though. He is more interested in a securing a third fight against one of boxing’s fastest-rising stars.

“I have a very good memory,” Beterbiev said. “So I did beat him twice in the amateur ranks, but I’m more focused on the future right now and I would like to beat him again. … The future will show and everybody is interested to see that fight.”

Beterbiev is developing a following in Montreal, his adopted hometown and the site of Kovalev’s eighth-round technical knockout win against Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs, 1 NC) on March 14. He’ll encounter Campillo (25-6-1, 12 KOs, 1 NC) at Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, where Stevenson (25-1, 21 KOs) will defend his WBC light heavyweight title against Cameroon’s Sakio Bika (32-6-3, 21 KOs) in the 12-round main event after the Beterbiev-Campillo match opens Saturday’s telecast (CBS; 3 p.m. ET; noon PT).

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.