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The World Boxing Organization (WBO) on Wednesday announced that it would require Artur Beterbiev to provide a detailed medical explanation of his latest injury.
Top Rank confirmed last Friday that WBO, WBC and IBF light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus during training, forcing the postponement of his scheduled undisputed light heavyweight championship bout against WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol.
Originally slated for June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the fight is now expected to be rescheduled for later this year.
In response to the setback, the WBO has called for Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) to share key findings of the injury.
“Beterbiev is hereby ordered to submit within the next 10 days a detailed medical explanation of his injury, findings, recovery prognosis and his physician’s opinion as to when will he be physically and medically cleared to compete and return to active competition,” wrote Luis Batista Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee, in a statement released Wednesday.
“Failure to comply with this order will result in Beterbiev waiving all rights hereunder and with the Committee proceeding per WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”
The statement, which is now available on the WBO’s website, copied Bob Arum, Carl Moretti and Jeremy Koegel, Top Rank’s CEO, vice president of boxing operations and general counsel, respectively, as well as WBO President Francisco Valcárcel.
Beterbiev, 39, has endured a series of injuries that haven’t relented since the start of this decade. He has had five bouts canceled since March 2020, not all of which were his fault. A fight against Bivol (24-0, 17 KOs), 33, would be an opportunity to potentially cement his status as a future Hall of Famer.
