Oleksandr Usyk has received a call-out from his old amateur rival and unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. The pair fought each other three times before they both became highly successful professionals with Beterbiev winning the first in 2007 and Usyk the second and third in 2011 and 2012.
In their last encounter, Usyk booted Beterbiev out of the London Olympics during their quarter-final bout and there has been tension ever since. Keen to run it back in the paid ranks, Beterbiev told iD Boxing: “Very happy if this fight happens in the professionals. I believe I can give him something in the professionals.
“I can give him very good fight. I don’t want to say I will beat him, even if I will beat him, I don’t want to say it.”
Beterbiev has chased the fight with Usyk for quite some time. In 2020, he revealed that he was keen on facing Usyk during The Cat’s undisputed cruiserweight reign, and enquired into the possibility of signing with Usyk’s then co-promoter, Matchroom Boxing, providing they could guarantee him a fight with his old foe. In the end, Beterbiev linked up with rival outfit Top Rank and continued his run at 175lb.
“But the fight with Canelo Alvarez potentially involves big money, so I’m not ruling out the possibility that it will happen.”
For now, Usyk is expected to face Tyson Fury next in the first undisputed heavyweight unification clash of the four-belt era. According to Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, the fight is being targeted for a date between February 18 and March 4 in the Middle East.
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