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Light Heavyweight Division Beware, Artur Beterbiyev is Coming

Far away in Quebec, an awakening took place on Saturday night as another big name introduced himself onto an already flourishing Light Heavyweight scene.

artur-beterbiev-vs-tavoris-cloud2 Vincent Ethier

With all the attention focused firmly on the colossal showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev this November, far away in Quebec, an awakening took place on Saturday night as another big name introduced himself onto an already flourishing Light Heavyweight scene.

Joining the likes of Hopkins, Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson is Artur Beterbiyev, who after only six fights appears to be ready for the big names after he absolutely obliterated former world champion Tavoris Cloud in only two blistering rounds.

As a stellar amateur, Beterbiyev was as devastating in the unpaid ranks as he looks to be in the paid. His amateur pedigree saw him triumph in two European championships along with attaining silver and gold in the 2007 and 2009 World Amateur Championships.

Aside from these impressive accomplishments, Beterbiyev also holds two victories over concussive puncher and current WBO Light Heavyweight champion, Sergey Kovalev, which proves he is not to be messed with.

As a result of Beterbiyev’s decorated amateur career, when he turned pro many predicted that this heavy handed Russian would be capable of mixing it with the elite level of the Light Heavyweight division, but at the mature age of 29, he seemed to be in a race against time.

However, after six fights, six knockouts and the recent disposal of a world-class operator like Tavoris Cloud, numerous pundits are confident that Beterbiyev is already a threat to all the champions at 175 pounds.

Is Artur Beterbiyev a champion in waiting or is it all just hype??

artur-beterbiev-vs-tavoris-cloud5 Vincent Ethier

Well, although Cloud was coming off of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Hopkins and Stevenson, he was still a very good fighter.

The ageless Hopkins eased his way to a points victory against Cloud and Stevenson took an impressive seven rounds to stop the brave former IBF champion.

But to totally annihilate a fighter of such high quality in two rounds, after only six professional bouts, is evidence that Artur Beterbiyev is without doubt a severe threat to the pace setters at the summit of the Light Heavyweight division.

So champions beware, Beterbiyev is rising fast.

 

All photos by Vincent Ethier

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