Many fighters will stop at nothing to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but some, like Artur Beterbiev, will try to deny him.
That doesn’t matter to the Russian fighter, who waved off the fight with Canelo in favor of pursuing his own title, despite Canelo’s big box office success and guaranteed hefty paycheck. do not have.
Artur Beterbiev refuses to fight Canelo
The Russian fighter, considered one of the best boxers in the world, has his sights set on defeating 175-pounder Dmitry Bivol, the same fighter who has proven to be Canelo’s “kryptonite.”
For this reason, Beterbiev downplayed the possibility of facing Canelo Alvarez, explaining why: “If Canelo had a belt in his weight class, I would want to fight him.”
“Even if that moment comes, I don’t think I want to fight him yet. I’m really not interested in a fight with Canelo,” he said on the Stomping Grounds podcast.
Who is Artur Beterbiev?
Beterbiev, 39, is considered one of the best boxers in the world. He is also one of the few fighters with a 100% knockout record, winning all 20 of his professional bouts by knockout.
Artur Beterbiev currently holds the WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles, and will defend his title against current WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in an attempt to unify the 175-pound division. This match is one of the most anticipated matches in recent years.
The winner of the Oct. 12 bout will be considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
It is important to note that the 175-pound weight class is one division above Canelo Alvarez’s weight class (168 pounds).
However, it seems unlikely that Canelo would accept the promotion again, as he lost to Bivol then. So Beterbiev will likely have to cut weight if he wants to face him.
