The chances of WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev 19-0 (19) facing WBA boss Dmitry Bivol 21-0 (11) this year are virtually nil, according to promoter Bob Arum.
In an era when four-belt unification bouts have become the flavour of the day, fight fans and pundits alike are clamouring for a bout between the two best 175-pounders in the world to determine ultimate supremacy at the weight.
But boxing politics have intervened once again to put paid to another compelling match-up.
Top Rank boss Arum explained the current status to The 3 Knockdown Rule podcast and how it relates to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.
“The WBC has made its views known,” Arum said. “I am very sympathetic to the WBC’s views and I 100% support Ukraine and its fight against aggression. So, I am not going to push a Bivol-Beterbiev fight.”
The 38-year-old Beterbiev was born in Russia but has taken out citizenship in Canada, where he now reside. Bivol, 32, was born in Kyrgyzstan, resides in California but holds Russian citizenship.
“You may say, ‘Well, isn’t Beterbiev Russian?’ and the answer is, no, not really,” Arum continued. “He has had a residential visa in Canada for fourteen years, so I look at him as being Canadian. I don’t want to do anything that supports Russia in any way, so I applaud [WBC president Mauricio [Sulaiman] for the position that he has taken.”
Bivol was last in action on November 5 when he successfully defended his WBA crown against Gilberto Ramirez by unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi.
Just three days late WBC head honcho Saulaiman issued an edict about Russian boxers.
“All fighters from Russia and Belarus are being removed from the WBC rankings,” Sulaiman said.
“The WBC will not sanction any fights in those two countries and no national citizen from those two countries can compete for a WBC championship title.
“I wish to express our deep regret for the athletes, for the promoters, for the members of the boxing industry from Russia and Belarus who will suffer with these consequences of the actions outside the ring.
“The WBC believes in peace, believes in fair play, and believes human dignity.”
For the sake of both the Ukraine and boxing, let’s hope the war ends soon.
