Artur Betterbiev is not your usual knockout artist.
The light heavyweight champion and his riders claim he is an all-around boxer. And he is. He’s a two-time Olympic athlete for his native Russia, meaning his game is built on solid fundamentals.
However, you can’t ignore an overwhelming statistic: Beterbiev stopped all 18 of his opponents, including seven, in title fights. He will shoot for 19th place in his title defense against Anthony Yarde on Saturday in London (ESPN+).
Is Beterbiev the biggest puncher in the sport?
His promoter, Bob Arum, who has worked with some of the most powerful men of the past half century, thinks so.
“Today there are warriors known for their strength,” he told Beterbiev beside him at a press conference on Thursday. “Especially two heavyweights, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, who are lighter like Inoue and Terence Crawford.
“But I think the heaviest boxer in boxing right now is the one on my right. He took down every opponent in front of him, not because he wasn’t a great fighter – because he was – but he also had the magic that you can’t really train a fighter. doctor.
“It’s instinct, the ability to punch and take down an opponent.”
Beterbiev’s knockout record is particularly impressive given the extent of his rivalry over the past few years.
Detractors might argue that Beterbiev is more of a heavyweight puncher who knocks opponents down before he stops them than a knockout artist with one punch. After all, four of the seven aforementioned championship games ended in the ninth inning or later, meaning he needed time to get the job done.
However, Wilder, who is considered by IS to be a one-shot puncher, also needs time to eliminate many of his opponents.
Probably due to the opponent’s tactics. A dancer can last for a while. Enemies willing to trade punches with fighters like Beterbiev and Wilder will bring instant disaster.
Ask former president Joe Smith Jr., Beterbiev’s most recent opponent. Smith attacked Beterbiev aggressively and couldn’t make it past the second half.
For their part, Betterbiev and coach Marc Ramsay don’t seem to care much about the knockout performance. And they certainly don’t just count on Beterbiev’s ability to hurt opponents in pursuit of victory.
“In our camp, we always try to be ready for different scenarios. If it’s a tough fight, we’ll be ready,” said Beterbiev, a modest, quiet man.
Ramsay said: “I know people want to talk about [Beterbiev’s KO streak] and there’s a question about this, but this isn’t really the focus we have as a team. We work with Artur to get ready to fight in the best way possible.
“Power is power. Strength is there, but that is not the main goal for us. We don’t put much emphasis on that.”
He leaves that to the rest of us.
