There is nothing wrong with pursuing your dreams as long as you are willing to take the proper steps to reach that point.
It’s a lesson Artur Beterbiev learned at a young age, one that inadvertently led to his decision to become a boxer.
“I always wanted to be an astronaut,” the unbeaten light heavyweight titlist revealed to BoxingScene.com. “I remember vividly when I was 8, 9 years old, all I ever thought about was being an astronaut and flying into space.”
Lacking the means to explore the final frontier, Beterbiev would eventually settle on a lifestyle which revealed his otherworldly punching power which he looks to put on display this weekend. The two-time Russian Olympian and reigning unbeaten light heavyweight titlist—now based out of Montreal, Canada—will collide with former amateur rival and reigning World (lineal) 175-pound champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14KOs) this Friday, with their title unification clash airing live on ESPN from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It's been a long and frustrating road for Beterbiev (14-0, 14KOs) in reaching this point, but comes from persistence in sticking with a sport that didn’t always love him back nor was even love at first sight.
Beterbiev, now 34, accompanied his older brother to a local gym in Russia one day at “around nine years of age” but the occasion was one and done. His brothers would continue to box, while Beterbiev—whom his siblings believed he lacked the desire to succeed in the sport—was left at home with nothing but his thoughts and dreams. From there came the decision to map out a plan to realize his latest dream.
“I remember when I first wanted to box, that I had to set goals for myself,” notes Beterbiev. “My first goal when I joined a boxing team was to win a championship.”
He did just that, claiming the Russian junior national championship at age 16. The uniform he wore for the tournament was paid for with his father’s life savings, with the win coming just five days before his father died in a horrific car accident.
The passing of his role shook Beterbiev to the core, but ultimately became his motivation to continue to box–and to excel in the sport.
“After that, I decided I was going to one day make it to the Olympics,” noted Beterbiev, twice achieving that goal with trips to 2008 Beijing and 2012 London bookending his 2009 World Amateur Championship Gold medal heist. “After that, my goal was to turn pro and make a better life for my family (relocating to Montreal, Canada in 2013). My next goal after that was to become a world champion. We did that. Once we signed with (Top Rank and ESPN), the next goal was to get a big fight in 2019.
“We have a very big fight this weekend, but more goals after that.”
The bout will mark the third defense of Beterbiev’s version of the light heavyweight crown, along with the second championship defense for Ukraine’s Gvozdyk. The winner will be regarded as the lineal light heavyweight champion, a status claimed by Gvozdyk in his near-fatal knockout win over Adonis Stevenson last December.
A win on Friday, however, is far from the end game—nor will he believe it solidify his status as the best light heavyweight in the world today.
“I make many goals, but only look at one goal at a time,” states Beterbiev in pointing out the tunnel vision applied this weekend’s affair. “I know I’m good but I know (Gvozdyk) is very good, otherwise he wouldn’t be a world champion. Neither would the other guys (Dmitry Bivol, who just defended his title, and Sergey Kovalev, whom faces World middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez—moving up in weight—on Nov. 2). My next goal will be to face the other champions; after that, then I can (claim to) be the best (light heavyweight) in the world. But that day hasn't come yet.
“Whenever I first decided to become (a) boxer, it made me a big believer in working towards your goals, but never looking at the next goal until you accomplish the first one.”
So what happens if he goes on to run the light heavyweight tables?
“Maybe, I can still become an astronaut,” Beterbiev deadpans.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
