Artur Beterbiev: record, next fight and profile →
By Cliff Rold - There's always something exciting about new talent in boxing's glamour classes. Blue chip at heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight means more than just talent. It also means the potential for a high-dollar stardom that can be harder to achieve in most other divisions. Last year, these honors went to a fighter some staffers here still view as a prospect, Heavyweight Anthony Joshua.
33-year-old unbeaten light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12KOs) of Cuba recently scored a fifth-round knockout victory of 32-year-old Karo Murat of Germany in an IBF final eliminator.
The long and exhausting search in securing an opponent for Artur Beterbiev is finally over. So, too, is any hope of fighting for the rest of the year. An injury suffered to his right shoulder during training has forced the unbeaten light heavyweight contender to withdraw from a planned title eliminator on November 28 in Quebec City.
Aleksander Alekseev, former fighter and promoter for EC Boxing, says he is talking to promoter Yvon Michel of Canada to finalize the details of a final IBF light heavyweight eliminator between 30-year-old Russian contender Arthur Beterbiev (9-0) and his compatriot, also 30-years-old, Igor Mikhalkin (17-1), who holds the EBU title at 175.
Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9KOs) thought he had a set opponent when an IBF eliminator was offered to Cuban contender Yuniesky González (16-1, 12 KO), who is coming off a very close decision loss to former champion Jean Pascal. It was unexpected when Gonzalez's team passed on the fight.
According to a press release from EC Boxing, current EBU light heavyweight champion Igor Michalkin (17-1) have been accepted by the International Boxing Federation as challenger for an IBF eliminator against Artur Beterbiev (9-0), who returns on November 28th in Quebec as part of a Showtime tripleheader.
Top light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera is still very upset that an IBF final eliminator bout against Artur Beterbiev has been derailed by his visa issues. Barrera, who is ranked #8 by the IBF (and also rated in the WBO and WBA's top 10,) said that he didn't hesitate when the fight was offered to him.
Light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9KOs) is having a very difficult time finding an opponent to face him an IBF final eliminator on November 28th at the Videotron Centre in Quebec, Canada. The event will be headlined by James DeGale defending his IBF super middleweight championship against Canadian superstar Lucian Bute.
Light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9KOs) is looking for a new challenger for his IBF final eliminator on November 28th at the Videotron Centre in Quebec, Canada. The event will be headlined by James DeGale defending his IBF super middleweight championship against Canadian superstar Lucian Bute.
Sources close to the situation have advised BoxingScene.com that a tripleheader is being finalized for November 28th at the newly constructed Videotron Center in Quebec City, Quebec.The three fights will be broadcast by Showtime.