By Luke Furman
As BoxingScene.com reported last week, promoter Yvon Michel of GYM was victorious in his long legal battle with IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Beterbiev was attempting to break away from Michel, who claimed the boxer was still under a multi-year promotional agreement.
In the end, a 10 page judgment in favor of Michel was issued last Friday by the Superior Court of Quebec. Beterbiev is bound to Michel until 2021.
Beterbiev (12-0, 12 KOs) captured the vacant title last November with a stoppage win over Enrico Koelling in California.
It was not exactly a secret that Beterbiev, if he was able to break away from Michel, had planned to sign with Top Rank.
"We can not say that there are winners in this, there are just losers," Michel said to RDS.
"We lost a year and a half of energy and money on both sides. Artur became world champion, but his career has not advanced as it should have. Quebec fans have not had the opportunity to see him progress and dominate the light heavyweight division.
"The message we want to make is that we are convinced that we are the organization best placed to advance Artur, to continue to see him progress. We are convinced that we have the resources and the contacts for Arttur to succeed in his talent and show that he is a star."
Next up for Beterbiev, is a likely mandatory defense against Callum Johnson. A purse bid is scheduled for June 19.
"We do not rule any possibility as we have not embraced any," said Michel.
" We will look at everything that is potentially feasible. What we want is for us to get back on track. I'm sure it would be good for the industry. We were opponents, and now it's over. We are ready to continue with the same enthusiasm, the same interest as when he began his career with us."
Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org