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Artur Beterbiev’s years-long battle with Groupe Yvon Michel is finally over, leaving the IBF light heavyweight champion free to campaign on ESPN under the Top Rank banner.
Press release: Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and Artur Beterbiev, IBF World Light Heavyweight Champion, announced today that they have reached an agreement confirming the termination of their promotional contract. pic.twitter.com/OIJP6TRPHf
— Yvon Michel (@yvonmichelGYM) March 18, 2019
Beterbiev (13-0, 13 KO) and GYM have been at one another’s throats since 2017, when the Russian made his first attempt to separate.. The spat turned increasingly nasty, with Beterbiev alleging that GYM cancelled his planned fight with Enrico Koelling out of retribution. He wound up fighting just once each in 2017 and 2018, knocking out Koelling in a rebooked matchup and Callum Johnson in what would be his only fight on DAZN.
He is due back May 4th, fighting Radivoje Kalajdzic in Stockton on a card that will also see Jerwin Ancajas defend his super flyweight title against Ryuichi Funai.
Hopefully, this is the definitive end of the shenanigans keeping one of boxing’s most devastating punchers out of the ring. I could not be knocking on wood any harder if I had a sledgehammer.