6 Days to go....

11:00 minute mark

This content is protected

 

Kovalev, Beterbiev, Gvozdyk and Bivol?

1. Kovalev because he's the most proven as a pro

2. Gvozdyk/Beterbiev/Bivol are all very talented and promising and we're going to find out how good they are and where they sit in the pecking order in the very near future. They could all possibly beat Kovalev or each other on their nights. Time will tell

 

Yeah I remember that quote

Yeah they were in negotiations with Bellew too.

They offered the fight to Callum Johnson. Apparently, according to Joe Gallagher, everything was agreed on and they signed but HBO turned it down

Time-stamped

This content is protected

Michael Benson‏ @MichaelBensonn
Incredible. Joe Gallagher said in his IFL interview Callum Johnson had AGREED terms with Andre Ward, but HBO turned the fight down.

3:10 pm - 13 Sep 2017

 

Beterbiev beat 2 of the other 3 in the amateurs.

Kovalev on a razor-close points decision (by a single point) in their official figh

And he beat Gvozdyk when he forced him to retire in his corner with a broken nose

His power alone is a threat to anyone at 175 but he's intelligent too

John Scully touches on both in this interview

This content is protected

Another interview with Scully on Beterbiev

Connecticut-based trainer and former world light heavyweight title challenger “Iceman” John Scully worked for five weeks in camp with Beterbiev and is very high on his latest charge. UCNLive caught up with Scully to get the lowdown on the fast-rising powerhouse.


Bill Tibbs: Hi John, how are you doing?

Iceman John Scully: Good, thanks.

BT: How did you end up in camp with Artur Beterbiev?

IJS: Well, I got the call from (Beterbiev trainer) Marc Ramsay to see if I could come up to Montreal to help him out. (Ramsay) was busy working with (David) Lemieux and a few other things going on. Plus he had to leave town for a bit. In the end, I was up there for about five-to-six weeks.

BT: You have been very big on Beterbiev for a while now. You’ve been around a lot of good fighters, so a guy with less than 10 fights, who gets your attention like this, must have something special.


IJS: I remember talking to (trainer and television personality) Russ Anber a couple of years back when (Beterbiev) had like four fights or something and Russ was raving about this guy. He was saying, ‘You gotta see this guy, the power he has. He could fight for a title right now.’ The guy had 300 amateur fights; he hammered Tavoris Cloud in his sixth fight. I mean, he beat Rayco Saunders in his second fight. If you aren’t at the top of your game, Rayco is going to be a tough, tough night. He is a very live guy if you aren’t ready and Artur beat him in his second fight. I was speaking to his sparring partners and they were saying how many days they had until they got to go home. They had gotten more than their share of his power. They were saying it kind of joking but they were all talking about how strong and powerful he was.

BT: He looks very strong.

IJS: It’s not just power – which he has a lot of – but it’s killer instinct. I mean, this guy goes in there looking to get you out of there.

BT: How did camp go working with him?

IJS: It was great. He tries everything you ask of him. He is open to try anything. He works very hard. You don’t have to remind him to do anything you have asked of him; he is on the case. It’s all about the work with him. He is very old-school, no music, just himself, just wants to work. And he is great to work with because he is a really nice guy.

BT: He’s fought and beaten some very experienced guys in a short pro career. Does this speak to his amateur experience?

IJS: Yes, it does but not just his 300 amateur fights but fights against very tough competition. Everyone talks about his win over (Sergey) Kovalev (in 2007 in the Russian Championships semifinals) but he fought a lot of very tough guys in the amateurs. He has a lot of experience and a lot of power. I would say two things: One is that all those amateur fights do mean something, without a doubt. And, second, his conditioning and drive is not an issue at all. He is in great shape; he works very hard and is already a 12-round fighter. He is such a hard worker and he wants to learn all the time. He has a great attitude. He also realizes that there is not only a difference between the pros and the amateurs but there is a big difference between the pros and the European amateur style. He questions everything; he wants to learn all the time. He is a perfectionist; he wants to be the best.

BT: He is going to be a fun guy to follow.

IJS: His future looks very bright. He has a great coach in Marc, a good situation in Montreal; he has power and great conditioning. He has a very bright future and I’d be very surprised if he didn’t win a world title.