Eddie Hearn taunted Artur Beterbiev at the press conference for Saturday’s undisputed title fight with Dmitry Bivol, addressing the veteran’s reluctance to talk this week. Beterbiev, who puts the unified light-heavyweight belts on the line against WBA champion Bivol, has offered brief answers to media questions this week, often replying with just one word at a time. During the press conference, when Beterbiev mentioned Hearn’s loquacious nature, Bivol’s promoter was quick to respond.
The exchange between Hearn and Beterbiev began when press-conference host Dev Sahni informed Beterbiev that Hearn had labelled him ‘arrogant’. Beterbiev, 39, retorted, “You want to make a fight with Eddie? Why do you do that?” Hearn, 45, interjected by saying, “Don’t worry about me, you have to get through [Bivol] first. When he’s finished with you, it’ll be easier for me.” Beterbiev replied, “No need to finish with him, I’m finished with him [on Saturday]. With you, today maybe.”
The banter continued with Beterbiev joking, “Maybe, I don’t think it would be a tough fight for you,” to which Hearn replied, “You need a real challenge.” Beterbiev then teased Hearn about his condition, prompting Hearn to retort, “Me, terrible, but I think you need to switch on for [Bivol].” The exchange concluded with Beterbiev stating, “You talk a lot,” and Hearn firing back, “I know, it’s my job, you should try it!”
Bivol, 39, and Beterbiev, 33, both undefeated, are gearing up for their highly anticipated main event in Saudi Arabia this Saturday. Both boxers are ranked in the Indy Sport pound-for-pound top 10. Beterbiev, born in Russia but representing Canada, boasts a perfect 20-0 record with 20 knockouts. Meanwhile, Bivol, born in Kyrgyzstan with Russian heritage, holds a spotless 23-0 record with 12 KOs.
The upcoming clash between Beterbiev and Bivol was initially scheduled for June but was postponed due to Beterbiev’s injury. The two fighters have been linked for a while, and now fans are eagerly anticipating their face-off this weekend.