Unified IBF/WBC/WBO light heavyweight champion (up to 79.4 kg) Canadian Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) gave
interview for the British media.
The 100% knockout spoke about his future opponent – Briton Anthony Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs), whose fight is scheduled for January 28 in London (England). Beterbiev also talked about working with his coach, weight race, knockdowns, possible fights with the WBA super champion Russian Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) and the unified heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg) Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (20-0 , 13 KOs).
– Welcome to london.
– Thanks.
– You were here 10 years ago, boxing at the Olympics. What are your memories of the London Olympics?
Let’s not talk about the past. I look forward to the future, not the past.
— Okay, then about the future. Anthony Yard. Are you looking forward to the fight?
– Yes, I’m looking forward to it. Because this is a new fight, a new challenge, everything is new. I’m trying to prepare for this fight.
– How difficult an opponent in the person of Anthony Yarde do you expect?
“I can’t say that. Because any opponent… I prepared 100% for all my past opponents. It’s not that this one is like this, and the other one is like this. You are always 100% Prepared.
– At the beginning of your career, you were shunned. You beat Tavoris Cloud and all the other light heavyweights have been running from you for years.
— [улыбается]
– Now you are at such a stage in your career that people have begun to recognize your talent and abilities. Does it mean a lot to you now?
“My boxing is my job. If some people like it, I’m happy. If not, I don’t care [улыбается].
– You are now in a position where people are very eager to see your boxing. I mean, you didn’t get opportunities earlier in your career, but you’re getting them now, which should be good, as a boxer, to have more focus on your career.
– Yes. My dream is to one day become a good boxer. I’m going to make my dream come true.
– You said after the fight with Joe Smith that you are trying to be a good boxer.
I’m still trying to be.
If you have three belts, it does not mean that you are a good boxer. I know that I need to fix a lot of things to prove my skills. I have a lot of these things and I’m working on them.
Explain to me the influence of your coach Mark Ramsey. A very interesting person. Tell me about training with him and how he helps you develop into a good boxer.
Yes, we work as a duet. Our duet is not bad, we understand each other. We can talk with him: what I don’t like, what he doesn’t like. We fix this and focus on work 100 percent, working on specific nuances.
– After the fight with Joe Smith, Anthony Yarde said that he thinks you are a little slow. What will be your answer to this?
— I’m wildly sorry for being slow. But next time I’ll try to be faster [улыбается].
How good is Anthony Yarde? Did you watch his fight with Kovalev?
“I haven’t watched full Yard fights like the one with Kovalev yet. We just started looking at it.
What are your early impressions?
– He is a good fighter. He’s like a bodybuilder. He has good experience, he fought good guys. I respect him. I try to prepare and be 101% ready.
“People are talking about fighting Callum Johnson, Jeff Page. Do you think people focus too much on the fact that you were knocked down in those fights?
You know, I don’t pay attention to it. First of all, I do not pay attention to the past, and secondly, for me it is experience. It happened, and it happened. This is boxing. It didn’t happen in football. For boxing, this is normal. I look at it as an experience. That’s all.
– As an amateur, you boxed at 91 kg. You are in your late 30s now. How easy or difficult is it to hit the 79.4kg weight limit right now?
– When I fought in England with Usyk, at that time my weight was 83 kg, not 90 kg. He has never been 91 kg. That’s why it’s not difficult for me to make weight. Not easy, but not very hard.
– After this year, people are talking about Dmitry Bivol. They say that maybe Canelo will get your weight back. I know your focus is on this fight, but what are your plans for the future? Is the absolute championship still your dream, your goal?
Yes, but don’t tell anyone. [улыбается].
– What do you think of Dmitry Bivol’s performance against Canelo?
I didn’t watch this fight. I watched some of the highlights, but not the whole fight. When I have a signed contract to fight with someone, then I start watching, but I’m not interested in watching everyone else [улыбается].
— You mentioned Oleksandr Usyk. He is now the unified heavyweight champion. Do you still want to meet him in the pros, or do you think that now this fight will not take place?
– I will be very happy if this fight takes place in professionals. I believe I can show him something in the pros. I can give him a very good fight. I don’t want to say that I will beat him. Even if I beat him, I don’t want to talk about it. You know, you communicate with boxers. Boxers are always expressive people. Do you know a joke? Anyone can hurt a boxer, but not everyone will get a chance to apologize [улыбается].
How will your fight end? Bob Arum says there’s no chance the fight will go the distance. He says that 100% will be a knockout. Do you agree?
– I dont know. He knows boxing better than me. He has been in boxing for a long time. [улыбается].
- I cried. And Gvozdyk explained that Beterbiev is not who they think he is – Yard coach