WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev returning to Russia after the fight with Callum Smith, answered a question from journalists about a possible fight with the WBA champion Dmitri Bivol .
On January 13, Beterbiev defended his belts at a boxing event in Quebec, defeating Smith by technical knockout in the seventh round. The statistics of Beterbiev, 38, are 20 early victories in 20 professional fights. Previously, the boxer has repeatedly stated that he wants to conduct a unification fight for the status of absolute world champion with the undefeated Russian, WBA champion Dmitry Bivol.
– How do you feel?
— I have already recovered, my left eye has almost disappeared.
— How did the battle itself go?
“It was clear they were well prepared for the fight, Callum Smith put everything on the line. That’s why the fight turned out to be so spectacular. I think the strongest won. When I looked at it, I realized it was quite big, even though I’m considered big for that weight. But there is one even more important.
– And after? Bivol?
– Hope. I’m hoping for a unification fight. Just talk for now, but we’ll see what happens next. Desire to eat. I have been open to this fight for 4-5 years. And I never said I didn’t want to. Questions for him, not for me.
– You said that Dmitry Bivol is lying when he says he signed a contract for the fight, but he didn’t say exactly that…
– He’s a boxer. Boxers are people like that, they forget what they say. Let’s not judge him harshly. This isn’t the first time I’ve signed a contract for a fight; if I sign, I prepare and I fight. How can he sign a contract with me if I have an argument in two or three weeks?
—When, according to the dates, would you be ready to fight?
– In a week or two. Joke. Let’s see how everything goes. I was on the road now, now we’ll take a look.
— Some say before big fights that they are willing to fight for free, while others say there should be the highest fee. Describe the desired fee for the fight with Dmitry Bivol.
– Together. How to put it in one word – all together. I was never very attached to money, money is also a good thing, but I had no passion for it. The titles have always been interesting for me,” reports the correspondent of , according to Beterbiev’s words.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
