Patience.
It’s not the first word that comes to mind when describing a fighter who – until his last fight – knocked out every opponent he faced.
For Artur Beterbiev, patience has defined his 175-pound championship reign. Every day of his seven-year title reign, he was certain that the time would come when he would have every piece of the right airy heavyweight equipment in his hands.
That moment came on October 12, when he defeated Dmitry Bivol to win the RING Championship and fully unify the 175-pound division.
“When I first won the IBF belt, this dream was always in me,” Beterbiev told The Ring. “I always believed this day would come.
“It happened a few days ago and I’m very content.”
This was evident on his content yet humble face when it was announced that he had won by majority decision at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 knockout) went the distance for the first time in his career. He had expected this day to come eventually, even though he had always avoided looking at his scorecards before.
In the match with Bivol (23-1, 12 KO), it was expected that Beterbiev would have to employ some novel tricks. Both were undefeated, widely considered two of the best airy heavyweights in the world and among the best in the sport on a pound-for-pound basis.
Beterbiev never expects to defeat his opponents, even though it happened many times during his long reign. He will always be the physically stronger fighter no matter who he faces at or near airy heavyweight. Bivol did have a size advantage and – on paper – was considered the better boxer.
It remains debatable whether that last part still holds true after twelve rounds of the championship. At least Beterbiev answered many questions about how he would react when his opponent didn’t go down.
“I was content that the fight went twelve rounds,” Beterbiev insisted. “Because I have to prove that I’m just not looking for a knockout. It’s always the same in every fight. If that happens, that’s fine.
If not, we have shown that we box well for twelve rounds and we can win that way too.”
Beterbiev had to box and fight all twelve rounds to earn the biggest victory of his storied but frustrating career.
Bivol was able to quickly take the lead. What’s more, he was ahead on all three scorecards after nine rounds.
Much has been written about the advice given from Beterbiev’s corner kick before the start of the eleventh round. Renowned head coach Marc Ramsay informed his protégé that he needed a knockout to win.
This sense of urgency is not uncommon in any world-class corner. Hall of Famer, multiple Coach of the Year Freddie Roach often calls on his players to “put him on his ass” before the final round. Most elite coaches know how to get the most out of their athlete in a arduous situation.
This is what happened in Beterbiev’s corner. The 39-year-old world-class fighter, a devastating Russian, responded in kind.
“I didn’t think I was losing, but I wasn’t thinking about the results,” Beterbiev admitted. “I was more focused on the fight. I’ve maxed out in the last few rounds. Honestly, you should always have enough energy to finish the fight in these two or three rounds. It is significant to have no energy left after the fight is over.
“You give your all in the last rounds. I did it when my corner told me to win. They always tell me I need a knockout. I knew that meant winning the rest of the fight and having no energy at the end. After 12, you no longer need this energyvol round. You need this to win the fight.
Fittingly, the closest Beterbiev came to reaching that distance as a professional was his first competitive win.
Enrico Koelling was hopelessly outclassed in his IBF airy heavyweight title fight in November 2017 in Fresno, California. However, the German fighter saw the airy of day when the bell rang to start the 12th and final round.
Beterbiev knew that his opponent was only there to survive, not to win the title at stake. He capped it off with two knockdowns to force a stoppage with just 37 seconds left in the night.
The fight itself marked the end of a layoff of over ten months as Beterbiev recovered from shoulder surgery. The 2008 and 2012 Russian Olympian fought just his 12th professional fight in more than four years as a professional, seeking his first major title.
Injuries, illnesses and the global pandemic have further slowed down his momentum. Since winning the IBF belt, Beterbiev has fought only nine times.
The key was to make it count every time he stepped into the ring. He did so against then undefeated lineal/WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in their lineal/WBC/IBF unification fight in October 2019. After nine rounds, Beterbiev was losing two of three points before stopping Gvozdyk in the tenth.
It was his finest hour as a professional, but also his last for the next 17 months. The pandemic and a series of delays stalled his IBF-mandated title defense, which even resulted in a change of opponent. He eventually resumed his career in March 2021. Two fights later, Beterbiev added the WBO belt to his collection.
Three fights later, Beterbiev left boxing’s newest hotbed as the undisputed king of the airy heavyweight division.
“Unfortunately, injuries are part of this sport. Delays are part of this sport,” Beterbiev noted. “All these different things come our way for a reason.
“Finally, something very good has been created. I have always stayed in shape and patiently waited for this moment in my career to come.
Even that moment was postponed for four months as Beterbiev recovered from a knee injury and subsequent surgery. He and Bivol were scheduled to meet in June, even then in a fight that most believed wasn’t possible before 2024.
This lively changed with the emergence of Turki Alalshikh and the Riyadh Season group, which invested heavily in the sport. Moreover, the team has made aggressive efforts to ensure championship fights at the absolute highest level.
Without this current move, the airy heavyweight division has remained divided for 22 years and counting.
Thanks to this, Beterbiev was not only able to achieve success, but also found himself in a country where he could fully embrace the faith shortly after the victory that defined his career.
“Yes, it made the moment more special. “Islam is a substantial part of Saudi culture,” said Beterbiev, a devout Muslim. “But I am true to my faith no matter where I am in the world.
“Winning here made it a little different, but the goal was always to win the undisputed title wherever the fight was.”
Fittingly, the path to undisputed position came against an opponent who had been waiting for this moment as long as he had. Bivol was promoted to the full WBA airy heavyweight title list just a week before Beterbiev’s IBF title reign began.
“It was always meant to be like this, [Bivol] and I fight for everything,” Beterbiev insisted. “I never doubted this day would come. I am grateful to His Excellency (Alalshikh) and those who made this happen. Every step of my career has led to this. This was always my destiny.
“My belief that this day would come led me to what I could do in the ring to make my dream come true.”
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