Artur Beterbiev entered the ring to be booed by the New York partisan crowd. No matter how much you claim that you live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that you are a Canadian citizen, your name is Artur Beterbiev anyway.
And then being called Joe Smith junior, you can’t invent that. And coming from Long Island is even better for pumping a New York audience.
Marc Ramsay walked alongside Beterbiev on his way to the ring and said to himself, ‘Go on, you’re going to wake him up for me. Artur reacts sensitively to these heckling. He knows what that means.”
Twelve minutes later, around five of which were spent in combat, Artur Beterbiev waved to the crowd. The applause was polite. But there were no more boos: “Artur was determined. People would only have one option after the fight. First, you’re going to respect me and second, you’re going to respect me,” Marc Ramsay said yesterday morning.
A MAGNIFICENT MASSACRE
As you know, the Joe Smith case was settled in less than two rounds. A terrible massacre. Artur Beterbiev is an extremely intelligent boxer. He and Ramsay had prepared a perfect plan for Joe Smith.
We saw a very agile, almost dancing Beterbiev moving around the ring with great ease. In doing so, he forced Smith to sink into his style. That of a one-dimensional puncher. What is a racquet. It was loud and clear. After a minute the game was tied. The perfect match between a thug and a boxer.
Except that if the boxer’s name is Artur Beterbiev, he’s a strong puncher. With perfect synchronization. A terrifying boxing machine. As soon as he realized that Smith would not try to conform and continued to want to rip his head off, Beterbiev set about butchering him. Hook with both hands, heavy and precise jabs and to finish Smith off, two powerful right and left uppercuts to cheer him up.
It was done.
A demonstration of technology and frightening power.
And to convince you, read all of Dan Rafael’s English and American commentaries. Since yesterday they agree. Never Canelo Alvarez will not accept a fight against Beterbiev. The only possible opponent is Dimitri Bivol, who needed 12 rounds against Joe Smith. And Bivol is the only belt holder that Artur still eludes. That of the WBA.
A STAGE IN LONDON
There’s boxing and there’s the boxing business. Artur wants Dimitri Bivol. Fans want Bivol. But boxing businessmen want Anthony Yarde in London in October.
Yarde is the mandatory contender for Artur’s WBO belt. He was in New York for the fight and found after the fight that both boxers seemed slow to him. Hello Houston, we have a problem.
Why yard? Because their promoter is Frank Warren, an old English friend of Bob Arum, President and owner of Top Rank. Nothing is easier than organizing a fight in London. ESPN would be the broadcaster in the US and everyone would be happy.
While on ESPN, Bivol is signed to a promoter and a competing television network. It’s always complicated these TV stories.
Also, Arum spoke about Yarde on Friday. Before the fight.
So is it done?
Slippery!
“No one has spoken to my uncle Marc,” replies Marc Ramsay. “They can do whatever they want, Artur has no offer on the table. And what Artur wants is to unite the whole division by defeating Bivol,” summarized Uncle Marc.
And “Uncle” Anthony Rudman, Beterbiev’s attorney, confirms that no one made him an offer for Yarde. “The promoter can try to go ahead, but let’s say I’d be very surprised if he tried to rush a fight without speaking to us,” Me Rudman pointed out with the caution…of a lawyer.
In any case, it will be very expensive for Artur’s services. He comes to the table with three belts around his waist.
A GLOBAL ATTRACTION
Artur Beterbiev is 37 years old. Time is his most dangerous opponent. But crushing a world champion like Joe Smith, a good American from New York, right in Madison Square Garden was the detonator the Beterbiev clan needed to take them to the next level of business.
It’s easy. The boxing world praises them in London, New York, Vegas, Paris and Moscow. He is said to be the best pound for pound in the world and even Canelo Alvarez is afraid to face him.
Arthur superstar? Looks like yes…
