Artur Beterbiev: Behold The Rise Of King Artur Of Khasavyurt The Beast Of Dagestan

Artur Beterbiev, with the kind of punching power that many believe might be the best in boxing pound for pound, not only preserved his knockout streak, he won a world title.

Beterbiev dominated an unwilling Enrico Koelling and knocked him out in the 12th round to win a vacant light heavyweight world title on the Top Rank ESPN card headlined by Jose Ramirez-Mike Reed on Saturday night at the Save Mart Center on the campus of Fresno State.

Beterbiev, who fights out of Montreal, won more than 300 fights as an amateur and twice represented Russia in the Olympics, so when he entered the pro ranks many believed he was a lock to win a world title. After 4½ years -- but having had to sit out a year recovering from shoulder surgery -- he fulfilled the promise, but in a fight that had the crowd booing often because of Koelling's refusal to engage.

"He only wanted to survive and I really wanted that KO at the end," Beterbiev said through a translator. "This is what I have dreamed of my whole life. I am so happy."

They got off to a slow start -- and it never picked up -- as they measured each other and showed respect, but Beterbiev was the aggressor. He marched forward, landing stiff jabs to the head and belly as he pushed Koelling into the ropes throughout the fight.

Koelling would not engage. He continually backed up, kept his hands very high and showed tremendous respect for Beterbiev's power. It made for a frustrating fight for the crowd, which jeered the lack of action at various stages.

Koelling continued to stay in survival mode, but Beterbiev continued to fire away with a potent jab and some body shots. Koelling's offensive consisted of the occasional jab, many of which missed the target.

In the 11th round, the crowd perked up when Beterbiev rocked Koelling with a right hand, but soon Koelling settled back into his groove of backing up, circling and doing whatever he could to avoid any serious contact.

Beterbiev (12-0, 12 KOs), 32, continued to go after Koelling in the final round and finally broke through. He dropped him to a knee from an accumulation of punishment and then charged at him when the fight resumed. When he floored him again with a heavy right hand, referee Lou Moret waved off the fight at 2 minutes, 33 seconds.

After the fight Beterbiev, who was coming off an 11-month layoff caused mainly by a dispute with promoter Yvon Michel that is in litigation, was asked what took so long for the knockout against an overmatched opponent.

"I wanted to see what it was like to go 12 rounds," Beterbiev said. "I wanted to give it a try. I just needed to remain patient."

Beterbiev had won all 11 completed rounds on all three scorecards -- 110-99 -- at the time of the stoppage. He also was far busier than Koelling. According to CompuBox statistics, he landed 322 of 1,111 punches (29 percent) while Koelling only landed 64 of a paltry 252 blows (25 percent).

Koelling (23-2, 6 KOs), 27, of Germany, saw a seven-fight winning streak since 2015 come to an end. He said Beterbiev's punching power is for real.

"I got hit very hard with a right hand to the body (in the 12th round) and it took everything out of me," Koelling said. "He's a monster. He's relentless. He keeps throwing punches and he finished me off. He's a guy nobody wants to fight, and I took the fight."

Beterbiev and Koelling were originally scheduled to fight in a world title elimination match to earn a mandatory shot at unified titleholder Andre Ward. But when Ward retired in September and gave up his three belts, Beterbiev-Koelling was upgraded to the vacant title fight.


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Newly crowned IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev shows off his belt as he speaks to the media at his gym Thursday, November 16, 2017 in Montreal. Beterbiev scored two knockdowns in the 12 and final round to stop Enrico Koelling for the vacant IBF light heavyweight world title on Saturday Nov. 11, 2017 in Fresno, California.. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz.

MONTREAL — Only five days after winning the International Boxing Federation light heavyweight title, Artur Beterbiev was back at work.

It seems that the Russian, who has been based in Montreal since 2013, is not big on partying.

“When I have a choice of where to be, in the bar or in the gym, I prefer the gym,” Beterbiev said Thursday through an interpreter at the Rival boxing gym. “I’d like to continue to win and to achieve this, I have to be at the gym as often as possible.”

Trainer Marc Ramsay said the 32-year-old celebrated his win by going back to his hotel room, having a meal and some black tea, and going to bed.

“A trainer’s dream,” Ramsay called him.

Beterbiev (12-0) needed all 12 rounds — the first time he’s had to go more than seven — to break down the defence of Enrico Koelling and knock out the German on Saturday night in Fresno, Calif.

That gave him one of the three light heavyweight titles left vacant with the retirement of American Andre Ward in September. Dmitry Bivol of Russia owns the World Boxing Association belt while the World Boxing Organization title was won by Badou Jack of Sweden but immediately vacated again.

Adonis Stevenson of Montreal has held the World Boxing Council title since 2013.

Beterbiev said he’d like to unite the titles, or fight a top contender like former champion Sergey Kovalev, but first there are issues to be settled out of the ring.

The 32-year-old is in a dispute with promoter Yvon Michel over his contract. Michel says it is still in force, while Beterbiev’s camp claims it is terminated and he is free to find a new promoter.

He said Michel even tried to get a court injunction to set 30 per cent of his purse aside until the court makes its decision, which is expected early in 2018.

“I’m a humble person, an ordinary person,” said Beterbiev. “I cannot say I wasn’t distracted at all because I am a human being.”

It didn’t show in the ring, where he dominated from start to finish.

“I want to clear the situation up and not talk about it any more, so it’ll be done in his head and he’ll be 100 per cent focused on boxing,” said Ramsay. “He was able, despite all the trouble we had, to focus and win the title but I know it’s still a little bit in his head. I just hope now we’ll turn the page.”

He’d like to find a new promoter, either in Canada or the United States, but intends to continue living and training in Montreal.

That suits Ramsay, who could very well have more than one world title-holder to train in the near future.

David Lemieux (38-3), who he helped to a middleweight title in 2015, is a decent bet to win another belt when he faces WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders of Britain at Place Bell in Laval, Que., on Dec. 16.

And there is a chance that another one of his fighters, light heavyweight Eleider Alvarez, will take on Stevenson for the WBC title in January in Quebec City. Alvarez is the WBC’s mandatory challenger, but there is talk of putting Stevenson against Jack instead.

Beterbiev is Ramsay’s third world champion after Lemieux and former WBC light heavyweight king Jean Pascal.

“I’m not thinking about one or two or three (champions),” said Ramsay, who trains seven fighters overall, although he no longer handles Pascal. “Each guy is important.

“Now it’s done with Artur and I’m very focused on David Lemieux. After that, it’ll be the next case.”

A potential future fight he would want no part of would be a title bout between Beterbiev and Alvarez.

“It’s not going to happen because they’re both in my gym, end of story,” he said. “But in boxing, things go so fast.

“If something like that happens, I’ll deal with it. But if you look at the Klitschkos (Wladimir and Vitaly), they were able to have wonderful careers without facing each other. I think we can do that.”

 

17 minute interview in English with Artur

The interviewer asked him if there were any boxers he admired who inspired him to become a boxer. I think he thought Artur might not have understood the question so he mentioned a couple of fighter's names, the first of them being Kovalev lol

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Badou Jack remembers Artur from the amateurs

''He's strong as ****! (poop). He's one of the strongest guys I've seen, like back then.. and obviously right now too.''

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EXCLUSIVE – Artur Beterbiev: “Eastern Promises…”


The pupils of his eyes narrowed. They could have pierced metal, tearing holes through opponents with an eerie sense of calm. The predatory gaze of the understated Russian carried menace, no doubt.

From Khasavyurt, Dagestan to Montreal; from much-revered amateur prospect to troubled, gifted champion; the only World title holder with a one-hundred-percent knockout ratio sat down exclusively with Boxing Social to plot, plan and ponder.

Things have changed though, for Artur Beterbiev (12-0, 12 KO’s)…

The IBF light-heavyweight world champion has spent a large chunk of his career waiting: legal disputes, spells of inactivity and the struggle for viable opponents have contributed to the Russian’s myth-like career thus far. On October 6th, he faces Lincolnshire’s Callum Johnson, a refreshingly-willing challenger.

I’d read pieces on Beterbiev previously, discussing his time in the unpaid ranks and his issues as a professional. However, I wanted to understand the transition from one side of the planet, to the other. He’d moved from a region where young boys literally wrestle bears, to the bright lights of Canada’s East coast.

“Well, in the early part of 2013, I was invited to Canada by some promoter. Then, I started training and I really liked this place; the atmosphere, people, nature.

Most people here love sport and I like that! Of course, the most popular sport in Canada is hockey, everyone knows that. But more and more people have started loving boxing and I think it’s also a very popular kind of sport here.”

As we spoke, Artur was deep in preparation. His life in Montreal vastly differed from those long, hot days in the desert.

Dagestan had become infamous for its conveyor-belt of combat athletes. Typically a grappling-heavy region, their iron will and concrete durability had put the region firmly on the map, with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently securing a mega-fight with Conor McGregor. That fight, remarkably takes place on the same day as Beterbiev v Johnson, in what could be a celebratory evening for the East.

For almost twenty years, the Russian republic has played host to low-level guerrilla conflict. A population of just under three million people, on the edge of the Chechen crisis, they had overcome adversity and were now thriving in industries such as; brick-making, designing and producing garments and – of course – fighting.

In Khasavyurt alone, Beterbiev joins a list of Olympic athletes, though he stands alone, as a boxer amongst a golden crop of freestyle wrestlers.

Artur opened up on his youth, “I grew up in a family [environment]. My dad was a bus driver. My mum was a nurse at our local hospital. I have three brothers and no sisters. I can’t say we had rich life, but my parents did everything to give us all we needed.

I’m a native Chechen, but I was born in Dagestan. I don’t think it’s a tough place to grow up. But, at that time myself and other children didn’t have much choice, because you could either go into boxing or wrestling. At the beginning I did both sports, but then decided to stay in boxing!”


After the devastating loss of his father, Artur had continued to pursue his career in the sport, dedicating his success to the man who spent his remaining savings purchasing his son’s Russian amateur team uniform.

Stepping up to look after his mother, he began winning medals worldwide, ending his amateur career with an astounding reported record of 295-5. Two of his five losses were at the hands of Ukrainian phenomenon Oleksandr Usyk, as he stepped up to heavyweight – but, Beterbiev holds two wins over Sergey Kovalev, a blunt reminder of the company he kept.

Montreal and the comfortable surroundings of the French-Canadian province hadn’t softened Beterbiev, however. I’d been fascinated to hear of his signing with Matchroom USA, seemingly the exposure he’d long craved.

“Well, the Matchroom USA promotion offered me a contract for this fight and I accepted it. And we will see what happens. About my Matchroom USA promotional agreement, I signed a contract just for one fight but for the future I’m open and interested in continuing further [if terms were suitable].”

Court battles with his Canadian promoter GYM ongoing, I could sense Artur’s relief at fighting.

The fight with Callum Johnson was an intriguing one, the British and Commonwealth champion apparently being the highest-ranked opponent willing to take the fight. With Johnson, Beterbiev had found someone of a similar stature. Solid amateur pedigree, entering their early-thirties and hungry to test himself.

Artur shared his thoughts on his opponent, “He’s strong and he is a good boxer, he has good experience in [both] amateur and professional boxing.

I can’t say that I know much about him yet, but me and my coach, we are studying him and watching different videos of his fights.”


The Russian’s power had prevailed in all of his previous contests, stepping up to knock out former world title holder, Tavoris Cloud, in only his sixth outing.

The division was had been shaken up in recent weeks with Eleider Alvarez brutally stopping former champion Sergey Kovalev. Life at 175lbs was fascinating, with young countryman Dmitry Bivol improving with every fight, and fellow Canadian resident Adonis Stevenson struggling to retain his relevance. With rumours of a World Boxing Super Series, Artur’s message for the division was succinct.

“At the moment, I am preparing to fight against Callum Johnson and I’m fully focused on this opponent, but in the future I’m always ready to take a fight with any champion in my division!”


With appetising bouts on the horizon, it was nice to see Beterbiev treating Johnson as a live threat, determined to avoid a slip-up. He’d worked too hard and come too far, for that.

Laser-focused, we discussed his approach to camp and any changes in his preparation, now that he had something to defend. The hunter had become the hunted in a division blown wide-open and boasting four champions at-time-of-writing.

“Nothing has changed, except that I’m the champion now.” Artur told me.

“It’s been a long time since my last fight. I’m really looking forward to new fights, new opponents, new titles. Maybe the only thing that has changed is my training, because now I train much more and I stay in the gym much longer than before.

The fact that I have a belt means that there are always fighters who want to take it from me.”


Sadly, it seemed the list of willing challengers was slim. The amateur world champion had become the professional version, fulfilling his potential. He had repaid the faith shown in him by his brothers, who reportedly sold the family car to fund his entry into a competition as a teenager. That sense of family had rubbed off on the champion, a proud husband and a father of strong Muslim faith.

On October 6th, Artur Beterbiev boxes on DAZN and Sky Sports, by far his biggest platform, fighting a British opponent infront of global, prying eyes. These fights are the reward for a youth dedicated to the sport and years of financial hardships. It seemed the uncertainty surrounding his future was forgotten, yet not entirely resolved.

Boxing was all he knew.


“I think in any sport you need to be patient, work hard and put in a lot of effort. You have to live as a fighter, sleep as a fighter, eat as a fighter and think as a fighter. I can’t say what’s the hardest part of being a professional fighter, but I can assure you that there is nothing easy. In my case I enjoy all of this [hard] process!”

 

British and Commonwealth light heavyweight champion Callum Johnson (17-0, 12 KO) will get his crack at a world title on October 6 in Chicago, when he faces IBF champion Artur Beterbiev (12-0, 12 KO) live on DAZN from Wintrust Arena.

The 32-year-old Johnson says he knows he’s the underdog, but thinks it’ll be an exciting fight between two big punchers:

“I know what I’m up against. I’m a massive underdog, but Kovalev got beat last weekend. I know for a fact I’ve got the power to knock anybody out, so if I land on his chin clean, he’s not going to stand up to it, because there’s not anybody out there that can. Vice-versa, if he lands on my chin clean, I’m probably not going to stand up to it, but that’s what makes it exciting. We’re both strong, compact fighters and I’m sure we won’t have to go looking for each other.”

Johnson will indeed be a big underdog, but Beterbiev, 33, hasn’t exactly kept himself active, either. Maybe that’s something fans and media overrated — to some degree, it probably is — but it could be a factor. Beterbiev hasn’t fought since November 2017, when he beat Enrico Koelling to win the vacant belt, and that was his only fight since December 2016.

Then again, Johnson missed all of 2017 and came back in March of this year to knock out Frank Buglioni in a round, so maybe it doesn’t matter at all.

Still, it’s arguably the best fight on Eddie Hearn’s card on October 6, and could indeed be a fun fight between a couple of guys looking to do damage early and often.

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