A promotional bidding war for Artur Beterbiev is likely in the near future after the former undisputed light-heavyweight champion’s contract with Top Rank expired. The boxer, who lives in Canada but was born in Russia, has been out of action since February, when Dmitry Bivol defeated him and won no fewer than four titles in the process: WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF.
Commonly referred to as ‘King Artur,’ the Canadian fighter is apparently going to have a major career change in the near future. A retirement from boxing doesn’t seem to be on the card quite yet, though there may be some other changes going forward.
So far in his career, Beterbiev has proven himself to be a popular and competent boxer. He’s attracted a significant following, with many people following his career and visiting online sportsbooks such as GGBet to place bets on him. With a string of titles and 21 out of 22 professional matches resulting in a win for him, he’s certainly proving himself to be one to watch.
A Free Agent
Beterbiev was expected to travel to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to fight against Deon Nicholson on the David Benavidez-Anthony Yarde undercard. However, just last month Nicholson revealed that he would no longer be taking part in boxing matches in Saudi Arabia.
As such, it’s not certain when Beterbiev’s next professional match will be. Just recently, he informed his Instagram followers about an important career change, namely his split from Top Rank. This happened because his contract with Top Rank expired, which makes Beterbiev a free agent.
In his Instagram message, he said he was grateful to Top Rank for all the years they worked together and all the opportunities that came about thanks to their partnership. He also reassured his followers that he believes the best fights of his boxing career are ahead of him, not behind him.
A Future Partner
It’s clear that Beterbiev isn’t planning on signing with Top Rank again. The question that remains is which boxing promoter the Canadian-Russian boxer will sign with for the final years of his career?
At 40 years old, his time as a professional boxer is nearing its end; it’s typical for a boxer to retire between the ages of 35 and 40 due to physical decline and the demands of the sport, not to mention its long-term health risks. That being said, he showed few signs of physical decline during the match, proving himself to be not just a capable boxer, but a formidable one too.
With Top Rank no longer partnering with him, other companies will no doubt be clamoring to work with him. He could end up working with Golden Boy Promotions, Premier Boxing Champions, Matchroom, or any other boxing promoter.
There’s no doubt that Beterbiev will be back soon to make his mark on the light heavyweight division once more. He was recently quoted as saying he believes the best fights of his career are ahead of him, not behind him. Fans of the boxer will no doubt be delighted to learn he’s still going to compete, while fellow boxers may need to start preparing themselves for when they face him in the ring.