Artur Beterbiev debuts into Top 10 Rankings

Russian-Canadian professional boxer Artur Beterbiev has made a foray into the top 10 boxers of ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings. The light heavyweight champion now sits comfortably at number 7 after defeating American professional boxer Joe Smith Jr on 18th June in an intensive match.

The panelists were impressed with the match and promoted Beterbiev into the ESPN ranking. Artur Beterbiev is the only contemporary boxer with a perfect KO percentage of 18-0, 18 KOs. ESPN writer Mike Coppinger praised Beterbiev for defeating a tuff opponent and moving up in the ranking. ESPN boxing analyst Timothy Bradley Jr. said, “Artur is ‘The Terminator’. He proved to everyone that he is not merely a slugger. The two-time boxing champion further said, “He was precise and intelligent throughout the match. He has got the ability to apply whatever requires to defeat any opponent in the ring.”

“Artur Beterbiev is a trap-setting ticking time bomb. His innovative techniques, method, tactics, and devastating punching ability are what push us to rank him higher at number 5 in my list.”Boxing and MMA Reporter Mike Coppinger said, “Joe Smith Jr. was not an elite boxer, but he entered the arena as a powerful punching, durable light heavyweight fighter, he went the distance with Dmitry Bivol and even buckled the Russian. ”Artur Beterbiev possesses an uncanny capacity and underrated IQ that accurately places his destructive punches. His two-round demolition of Smith and impressive KO victory over Eleider Alvarez helped to breach the top ten.

However, Ben Baby, a celebrated boxing writer has a different take and does not think he deserves a spot in the top 10.

He said, “Even before the match with Smith, odds were against the American boxing champ. Artur got a grand total of the one-yes-one vote in the concluding round of ESPN pound-for-pound voting. And now he is ranked into the top 10, without really offering any brand new data aside from possession of an extra belt.”

A panel of ESPN Pound for Pound Boxing Ranking who have shared their votes include Mike Coppinger, Michael Rothstein, Nick Parkinson, Andre Ward, Eric Ruskin, Eric Woodyard, Claudia Trejos, Kel Dansby, Michelle Joy Phelps, Teddy Atlas, Bernando Pilatti, Charles Moynihan, and Salvador Rodriguez.

Whether Beterbiev is able to break through a crowded field remains to be seen. Let’s take a look at the most recent Sports Illustrated pound-for-pound rankings :

• Terence Crawford
• Naoya Inoue
• Errol Spence Jr
• Canelo Alvarez
• Tyson Fury
• Oleksandr Usyk
• Artur Beterbiev
• Dmitry Bivol
• Vasiliy Lomachenko
• Shakur Stevenson