Artur Beterbiev enjoys an undefeated streak in his professional boxing career, having won all his bouts via way of stoppage. The Russian-Mexican boxer is widely regarded as one of the most fiercest boxers in the history of the sport. However, even the mightiest of them all seems to have fallen prey to the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk.
Nicknamed, The Cat, Oleksandr Usyk currently reigns as the unified heavyweight champion of the world with multiple wins over British stalwart Anthony Joshua. He is also a former undisputed cruiserweight champion and the first undisputed champion from Ukraine. But that’s all about his professional career. Even in his amateur career, Oleksandr Usyk was a force to be reckoned with, and it’s surprising to note, he has multiple wins over current unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Artur Beterbiev: What really happened?
Oleksandr Usyk and Artur Beterbiev came face to face at the 2012 London Olympics. At the time, Artur Beterbiev competed in the heavyweight division, representing Russia at the Olympics. However, before their hugely anticipated match-up at the Olympics, Usyk and Beterbiev competed against each other for the first time at the Amber gloves tournament in 2007.
Artur Beterbiev defeated Oleksandr Usyk and came out on top in their first encounter. The second time when the heavyweights squared off against each other, was at the 2011 World Championship. The duo shared the boxing ring in the quarterfinals of the AIIBA World Championship, with Oleksandr Usyk avenging his loss against the Russian boxer. Usyk would later go on to win the gold.
Usyk vs Beterbiev in their third and final bout in the amateurs at the 2012 Olympics. #boxing #boxeo pic.twitter.com/Lhkxnq8dze
— No Nonsense Boxing (@NNBoxing) May 24, 2022
So when Usyk and Beterbiev shared the ring at the 2012 London Olympic games, it was a trilogy battle at the amateur circuit like no other. Once again, the pair fought each other in the quarter-final, and after a gritty battle, Oleksandr Usyk emerged on top, to win the trilogy fight against Beterbiev. The Ukrainian boxer even went on to win the gold medal in London, joining the elite list of Ukrainian boxers to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
As it stands right now, it’s unlikely we will see Artur Beterbiev and Oleksandr Usyk compete against each other, considering the huge difference in the weight class. Be that as it may, never say never!
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