"I don't really like him to be honest" - Eddie Hearn discusses "arrogant" Artur Beterbiev and his upcoming bout with Dmitry Bivol
Eddie Hearn has made it clear that he doesn't admire Artur Beterbiev.
The Matchroom chairman will promote Beterbiev's opponent, Dmitry Bivol, as they gear up for their clash for the undisputed light-heavyweight title on June 1. Hearn was present at the launch press conference in London on Monday to mark the occasion.
Hearn had previously overseen the promotion of Callum Smith against Beterbiev in January. The Russian-born Canadian emerged victorious with a brutal stoppage in the seventh round, which caught the British sports promoter off guard as it was not one he had anticipated.
During a recent interview with DAZN Boxing, Hearn didn't hold back in criticizing Beterbiev and his personality:
"I don't really like him, to be honest. I think he's arrogant. Rightfully so, because he's incredibly dangerous and he really believes in himself. But we're here to talk about the fight. I said to Dmitry Bivol after the face-off, 'Let's f**k him up, take him to school.' I really want to beat him, I thought Callum Smith was going to do the job and [Anthony] Yarde wasn't either, unfortunately."
He added:
"It shows you how good Beterbiev is, but Bivol is special, and it is going to be a tough fight for the undisputed world championship."
Check out Eddie Hearn's comments below:
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren unveil five vs. five tournament for Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions recently announced their five vs. five boxing tournament scheduled to take place in the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.
In the co-main event, Deontay Wilder is set to make his comeback against Zhilei Zhang. 'The Bronze Bomber' teamed up with Hearn for this matchup. Also on the fight card is an intriguing heavyweight showdown between Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrogvic, with the victor potentially in line for a title shot against Anthony Joshua, as Oleksandr Usyk's IBF title is expected to be vacated.
Additionally, WBA featherweight champion Raymond Ford will put his title on the line against Nick Ball, while Hamzah Sheeraz will face Austin Williams in a middleweight clash. Moreover, Willy Hutchinson and Craig Richards are set to collide in a light heavyweight bout on the card.