The light heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization, Artur Beterbiev, may change his weight category in the future.
“I want to win all the light heavyweight titles and then test myself in another weight class,” Beterbiev said to Tass.
Beterbiev, 38-years-old, has been gunning to become the undisputed champion at the weight.
He captured the IBF title with a stopped of Enrico Koelling in 2017. Beterbiev would gain another belt, the WBC, when he took down Oleksandr Gvozdyk in ten rounds in 2019. And then in June of 2022, Beterbiev picked up the WBO title when he crushed Joe Smith in two rounds.
Earlier this year, Beterbiev held off WBO mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde with a knockout victory.
He was due to return with another mandatory defense, this time against former world champion Callum Smith of the UK, but the fight was pushed back after Beterbiev sustained an injury.
The fight with Smith is now rescheduled to January of 2024.
The man who holds the last remaining piece of the puzzle is WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol. There have been issues with making that undisputed contest.
Besides the two boxers being unable to agree on the financial terms, and both being tied to rival promoters and competing platforms, the WBC is refusing to sanction the fight – due to Bivol being Russian. Beterbiev is also Russian, but he’s lived in Canada for many years.
The WBC will not sanction the fight until Russia ends the military conflict with their neighboring country Ukraine. But, the WBC is willing to allow Bivol to submit an application for an exception.
Provided he defeats Smith, a unification with Bivol will not happen until the midway point of 2024.
Moving up to cruiserweight is a big jump of 25-pounds, but several fighters have been successful with making that leap. Badou Jack has been the most recent to capture world titles at 175 and 200.
Beterbiev has continued to stop every single opponent, with 19 knockouts in 19 fights.