Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol stand at a press conference on April 15 in London to announce their postponed June 1 show. Photo by Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing
If Artur Beterbiev hadn’t torn his meniscus we would have been headed into fight week in his biggest matchup with Dmitry Bivol for the vacant Ring Magazine belt and undisputed light heavyweight championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
There was an uproar when news broke that the fight had been postponed due to the aforementioned injury.
Hopefully, Beterbiev is fit and healthy enough to resume training and face Bivol in the fall.
Personally, I think it’s the best fight we can do in boxing. I love the clash of styles and I believe that whoever comes out victorious will have cemented their legacy as the greatest tower 175 of their generation.
However, both men are in their 30s and it won’t last forever. Beterbiev, 39, has suffered a number of injuries over the years, which have taken a toll on his career.
Meanwhile, Bivol, 33, has struggled to build momentum and find a suitable sparring partner since he disarmed Canelo in May 2022.
With the Beterbiev tournament currently on ice, Bivol, The Ring’s No.
Under Bivol and Beterbiev, The Ring’s No. 2-rated light heavyweight, there is competition for position, including a potential London mouthpiece between Anthony Yarde-Joshua Buatsi that has been teased but not finalized. We may see former Ring/WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith return after a brutal loss to Beterbiev. The likes of Dan Azeez and Albert Ramirez give the division more depth and before that we see super middleweight standouts David Benavidez and David Morrell move up in weight to enter the division. Benavidez will fight former WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, while the dangerous Cuban will face Radivoje Kalajdzic on August 3.
Beyond the current top 10 are a handful of rising stars. Here we look at the runners and riders in alphabetical order. Some may rise to the top and become champions while others may not reach their potential.
Paulo Aokuso (7-0, 4 KOs)
Aokuso had less than 40 debut fights but won several tournaments in Australia, including the Golden Gloves, South East Queensland, state and national titles. He represented Australia at the 2020 Olympics, losing in the Round of 16. As the champion, he went fast and in his fourth outing he beat the tough Cuban Yunieski Gonzalez, and followed that win by beating Renold Quinlan. Could the 27-year-old be the next big thing from Down Under?
Khalil Coe (8-0-1, 6 KOs)
Coe was the best student at home in America. However, it is his first round knockout of Julio Cesar La Cruz that he is best known for. After turning pro in 2021 it took time for his career to catch fire. He was held to a draw in his second fight, but earlier this year the 27-year-old New Jersey native dropped the mark when he showed his power and skill in bludgeoning undefeated Juan Gerardo Osuna (20-0, 18 KOs) in just two rounds. Matchroom fighter is ready to start the movement.
Umar Dzambekov (8-0, 5 KOs)
Dzambekov was born in Russia but as a boy, he moved to Austria, where he won nine national titles and more than 150 professional fights. He picked up a close win over fellow standout Atif Oberlton (10-0, 8 KOs) on a non-payroll basis before switching to the sport’s side where he was snapped up by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions. He has moved his training camps to Los Angeles and is trained by Marvin Somodio at the prestigious Wild Card Boxing Club. The 26-year-old southpaw is very poised and has good accuracy, which has led to comparisons to Dmitry Bivol and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Umar Dzambekov. Photo by Lina Baker / 360 Promotions
Willy Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs)
The Scotsman was an outstanding novice winning the European and World Junior Championships before turning professional in 2017. Hutchinson was highly regarded and signed by Shelly Finkel and later by Frank Warren. His early career was a bit of a burn before he dropped from 175 pounds and fought Lennox Clarke for the vacant British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles. It proved too quick and “Braveheart” was caught and taken down as he backed away from the shot and stopped in Round 5. It was a tough lesson, Hutchinson took time to learn and did not fight for 15 months. When he came back out he was a healthier 175 pounds. He has won four fights against a consistently better team. The 25-year-old will now face former world title contender Craig Richards in Riyadh on Saturday. That is his testing ground to see if he can get into a top company.
Imam Khataev (7-0, 7 KOs)
Khataev was a great rookie, winning three Russian national titles – impressive, given the depth of talent in his home country. Internationally, he earned bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he earned the honor of taking out an eye in the third round against Gazimagomed Jalidov in the quarterfinals. He also took bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and fought in the pro-am World Series of Boxing. He moved to Australia but until he finally signed with the Canadian promoter Eye of The Tiger he was kept busy and the results are clearly visible. The 29-year-old is extremely strong and physically attractive, and has an excellent Ring IQ that puts him on par with unified champion Artur Beterbiev. Most recently, Khataev impressed by stopping Latvia’s Richards Bolotniks in six rounds.
Khataev celebrates his second round stoppage of Gi Sung Gwak of South Korea on March 12, 2023, in Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) / — PHOTO REPRODUCED FOR EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Daniel Lapin (10-0, 4 KOs)
Lapin had 290 fights as a student and won many national titles in Crimea. The Polish native moved to Crimea as a child and started boxing at the age of 6. He is Usyk’s buddy and has appeared on the heavyweight champion’s last four undercards. At 6-foot-6 and with a southpaw stance he’s a problem for anyone who can’t get inside. The 26-year-old impressed with his quick win recently in Riyadh.
Atif Oberlton (10-0, 8 KOs)
Oberlton was a decorated freshman at home where he won the 2016 National Golden Gloves and the 2018 Elite National Championships. The Philadelphian failed to reach the 2020 Olympics, losing in the trials to Rahim Gonzalez. Since turning professional in 2021, the 25-year-old has been at an impressive pace. He has a good jab and is responsible defensively, but his power has caught the eye in 10 fights.
Dilshodbek Ruzmetov (3-0, 1 KOs)
The Uzbekistan-born fighter was a novice who won silver at the 2019 World Championships and reached the last 16 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before seeking gold at the 2021 Asian Championships. He made his pro debut in 2021 but has been slowly improving since the 25-year-old southpaw. He is set to fight in Philadelphia on June 22nd, so hopefully he will be very active. He seems to have the ability to make a name for himself, he just needs a chance.
Mehmet Unal (9-0, 7 KOs)
Ünal was an elite novice, collecting several national titles. He represented his country at the Rio 2016 Olympics, losing to the eventual gold medalist. The Turkish hero caught the eye of Eye of The Tiger, which brought Ünal to Montreal, where he now lives. He recently participated in his sixth fight in less than nine months and has clearly benefited from a quick turnaround and improved significantly during that time. Ünal is physically strong, likes to fight on the front foot, tackle his opponents and hit them in the head and body. The 31-year-old is like a runaway train going downhill, if you can’t stop it you’re in trouble. He would get the best win of his career against Rodolfo Gomez Jr. a long-time regular, who had never been stopped despite sharing the ring with Diego Pacheco, Lester Martinez and, most recently, Ahmed Elbali. Unal scored a beatdown in the fourth round to boost his stock.
Ben Whittaker (7-0, 5 KOs)
The gifted Englishman claimed bronze at the 2019 World Championships and bronze at the 2020 Olympics. Since turning pro Whittaker has shown his undoubted talent but has drawn criticism for consulting inferior opponents. He will take the long-awaited step against an undefeated opponent on June 15.
Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker tags Greg O’Neil. Photo by Lawrence Lustig/ Boxxer
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