When did Artur Beterbiev start boxing? Exploring the undefeated knockout artist's boxing journey
Artur Beterbiev is considered to be one of the most skilled fighters in the current professional boxing landscape. Beterbiev currently holds the WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight championships. On the other hand, fellow 175-pound phenom, Dmitry Bivol, possesses the WBA (Super) championship.
With the big four (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF) titles at stake, the two fearsome combatants are scheduled to clash to determine the undisputed light heavyweight champion. The Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol title showdown headlines a highly anticipated boxing card at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 12.
When did Artur Beterbiev start boxing?
Artur Beterbiev was born on Jan. 21, 1985, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan -- a region formerly of the USSR and currently a part of Russia. Speaking to Boxing News Magazine a few years ago, Beterbiev suggested that the Chechen Wars adversely affected his family's life in the neighboring Dagestan.
Though the situation in Dagestan wasn't one of constant war, it was rife with various criminal activities. His family helped refugees by providing them shelter in their house, which held around 30 people at a certain point in time. Beterbiev himself started earning a meager salary at a local petrol garage. He recalled working there and filling cars when he was around "eight, nine, or 10 years old."
Beterbiev alluded to the Dagestani tradition of enrolling one's children into a boxing, wrestling, or MMA class around the age range of five to seven. Apparently, he immediately took a liking to fighting. He recounted training in both boxing and wrestling. However, when he was kicked out of the wrestling school, he never returned, but he did make his way back to the boxing school despite being removed.
Expressing his gratitude toward his brothers, he credited them for raising him as father figures. He underscored that they steered him away from the region's street-fighting culture to a disciplined life in the sport of boxing, Beterbiev stated:
"I started boxing at 10, 11 years old ... I was kicked out of the boxing school, but I always came back and asked if I could continue to train."
Moreover, Artur Beterbiev recounted being an angry child who'd often get into fights, be it on the street or in the gym. Regardless, he eventually prioritized boxing and amassed several accolades as an amateur.
Competing at light heavyweight, Beterbiev captured the silver medal at the World Championships in 2007, gold at the World Cup in 2008, and gold at the World Championships in 2009. He also clinched light heavyweight gold at the European Championships in 2006 and 2010.
Beterbiev faced the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Sergey Kovalev in the amateur ranks. That said, he was unable to win a medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, something he self-admittedly needed significant time to psychologically recover from.
After turning pro, Artur Beterbiev captivated the attention of fans worldwide and has racked up an unbeaten record of 20-0, with all his wins coming via KO/TKO. He's beaten former champions like Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Joe Smith Jr., and Callum Smith.
Beterbiev fights out of Canada under the tutelage of veteran trainer Marc Ramsay. The Russian-Canadian is currently eyeing undisputed light heavyweight glory against fellow undefeated boxing savant, Russia's Dmitry Bivol, in their upcoming clash that headlines a Riyadh Season boxing card.