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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Beterbiev Closer Than Ever
To World Championship Bout
By Daniel Cloutier
Photos: Robert Levesque
MONTRÉAL - The Montrealer Russian Artur Beterbiev, who wants
absolutely to fight for a world title in the months to come,
made another step in this direction Saturday evening in the
ring of Bell Centre, in front of about 3,000 boxing fans.
Beterbiev defended successfully his NABA North American
light heavyweight championship and his WBO international
championship, in beating the champion of Argentina, Ezequiel
Mardena (23-3-0), by TKO in the fourth round.
“I said I got the technique, the skills and the power to
beat Maderna, and I was right, said Beterbiev in getting out
of the ring. My punches were solid and accurate like you saw
it.”
Beterbiev dominated the first round, and he did more in the
following round in intensifying his attacks. In the third
round, Beterbiev provoked two knockdowns with power shots to
the jaw.
In the fourth round, Beterbiev sent his opponent on the
floor for the third and fourth times of the bout. At that
moment, the Mardena’s corner men threw the towel, asking to
the referee Marlon B. Wright to stop the bout.
Beterbiev won by TKO after 56 seconds of action in this
fourth round of a bout scheduled for 12.
Beterbiev was coming back after one year of inaction. Last
year at the same time, he got a surgery to the right
shoulder. “I told you few days ago that my right shoulder
was perfectly cured, and I was right, said Beterbiev. My
shoulder found back all the power and the mobility i got
before this injury forcing a surgery. I really feel in
perfect health actually and I am ready for huge fights on
the international boxing scene.”
Former amateur boxing champion of the world, Beterviev
(10-0-0) is the only light heavyweight (175 pounds) to be
ranked in the «Top 10» of the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF ratings
with only 10 pro bouts of experience.
“No matter the fact I have only 10 pro bouts of experience,
I know I am ready for a world championship bout, said
Beterbiev. I got a huge and successful amateur boxing
career, and a perfect progression in pro boxing. And I know
I have the talent and the desire to win a world championship
bout. I am just waiting the call for that. I hope it will
become reality very soon.”
Just before the bout Beterbiev-Maderna, the welterweight
Bryant Perrella, a fighter from Fort Myers, Florida, who
promised to leave Montréal undefeated few days ago, was
perfectly right.
Perrella improved his perfect record to 14-0-0 in beating
David Clayton, from Washington, D.C., by TKO in the second
round.
For Clayton, it was a first loss in 15 pro bouts (14-1-0).
After a close and very intense first round, Perrella send
twice Clayton on the canvas in the second round. And he
maintained his destructive attacks when Clayton got back on
his feet after the second knockdown, forcing the referee
Mike Griffin to stop the bout.
“Yes, I promised to stay undefeated in Montréal, and I said
the truth, said Perrella when he got out of the ring.
Clayton was aggressive like you saw it, but I certainly
connected the most power punches of this fight. I said few
days ago that I want to be involved in a North American
championship as soon as possible, and you can guess I did
not change my mind. I certainly helped my situation with
this clear win.”
The Montrealer Colombian heavyweight Oscar Rivas increased
his chances to get an opportunity for a world title this
year or in 2017. He stayed undefeated (19-0-0), in beating
Jeremy Bates (26-18-1), from Charleston, New Virginia, by KO
in the first round. Rivas provoked three knockdowns jun less
than two minutes, winning automatically by KO.
“Yes, I hope to receive an invitation to fight in a world
championship bout this year or in 2017, then, I will work
extremely hard to stay undefeated, said Rivas when he got
out of the ring. I em positive I have the weapons
necessaries to become world champion, the speed, the chin,
the intensity and the power.”
The super welterweight Jamontay Clark, from Cincinnati,
survived to a knockdown in the first round, and he finally
beat the Mexican Edgar Ortega (16-6-0) by unanimous decision
in six rounds.
Considered as a good prospect in Ohio State, Clark is
undefeated in 10 pro bouts (10-0-0).
Clark took his revenge when he sent his opponent on the
floor in the fourth round. Clark, a southpaw with a long
reach, dominated clearly the action from the second round.
Sébastien Bouchard, a welterweight from Baie Saint-Paul,
Québec, obtained his 13th win in pro boxing (13-1-0), with a
victory by unanimous decision in eight rounds over Arnaud
Dimidschtein (11-11-2), from Belgium.
Bouchard sent his opponent on the floor in the third round
with a super right hand on the chin. The fight was intense,
but no doubt that Bouchard connected the best power punches
of the bout. However, the fighter from Belgium proved he was
extremely tough.
The Montrealer Russian Vislan Dalkaev, a talented super
bantamweight, obtained his seventh win in pro boxing (7-0-0)
in beating the Mexican Javier Franco (25-18-4) by unanimous
decision in eight rounds.
Franco dominated the first round with his intensity and
frequent attacks, but Dalkaev, clearly better than his
opponent technically, took the control of the action in the
second round and the fight became extremely rough for the
Mexican. Franco visited twice the floor in the fifth round.
The Montrealer super middleweight Dario Bredicean improved
his record to 9-0-0 win a victory by KO in the first round
over the Hungarian Lalasz Horvath (25-18-0).
A southpaw, Bredicean, who was controlling the action
easily, provoked three knockdowns in the first round,
winning automatically by knock out.
In the opening bout of the evening, the super bantamweight
Pernell Fisher, from Toronto, got his first win in pro
boxing (1-1-0), with a win by unanimous decision in four
rounds against the Mexican Larami Carmona (1-3-0).
Carmona went on the floor at the end the second round on the
body shot.
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