Undefeated world boxing champion Beterbiev embraces life in Montreal

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The relationship started over dinner, just the three of them. Boxer Artur Beterbiev did not speak English. Coach Marc Ramsay, not Russian. So, an interpreter was required.

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Beterbiev, a promising Russian fan who won gold at the 2009 world championships and reached the quarterfinal round at the 2012 Olympics, was looking to emigrate to Germany, the United States or Canada. Ramsay, Canada’s top boxing mentor, wanted an international star on the verge of turning pro for his growing group of fighters, but was concerned that it would be nearly impossible to sway someone from the former Soviet Union.

Somehow, things fell into place that night and Beterbiev believed Ramsay’s sales pitch that numerous world titles were possible.

“It was difficult to understand each other at first, but we both had the same vision, nothing less than a world championship,” Ramsay told the Montreal Gazette this week during an interview at his gym in the far north. “I knew a lot about him. He knew that his transition to professional would be easy. He was winning as an amateur with a pro style: tough, with power.

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“You can be a good coach,” added Ramsay, who has coached former world champions David Lemieux and Jean Pascal. “But if you don’t have the horse to win the race, you’re never going to win with a donkey.”

Beterbiev, who turned pro in 2013, won the vacant International Boxing Federation light heavyweight title in November 2017, against Enrico Kölling. He added the 175-pound crown from the World Boxing Council 23 months later, dethroning champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

The 36-year-old Beterbiev has fought only 16 times, and nothing in 2020 following a rib injury and after testing positive for COVID-19, but he has never lost and has never failed to stop an opponent. If he’s not a household name in Montreal, it’s because he hasn’t fought here since 2016.

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A homecoming of sorts will occur on December 17, when Beterbiev puts his titles on the line against American Marcus Browne (24-1, 16 KOs) in the 12-round main event at the Bell Center. Also on the card are Montreal boxer and Marie-Eve Dicaire, who are battling for a world title. Kim Clavel was also supposed to fight for a title, but withdrew due to injury.

Beterbiev, the youngest of four boys, started boxing at age 8, seeking an outlet for his infinite energy. Born in the Republic of Dagestan, his parents made sure that there was always food on the table and a roof over the head of the family.

Once he realized his potential, Beterbiev’s only goal was to win a medal at the Olympics. His father, a bus driver, was killed in a car accident in 2001. Less than a year later, Beterbiev was invited to an Olympic boxing school in Moscow, 2000 km to the north. His mother, a nurse, insisted that he attend so that he would not think about his father’s death and also because she realized that her son would receive education, accommodation and meals. After that experience, moving to Montreal didn’t seem all that burdensome, although it did pose some challenges with the language and culture.

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Beterbiev, who learned English in less than a year, drives the streets in a black Mercedes and rents an apartment in the town of Mount Royal, where he lives with his Russian-born wife, Medina, and four children ages 4 to 11. The latter two were born in Canada.

Beterbiev has a dry sense of humor and a self-critical nature. Like many boxers, he is easy to like.

“I have not learned English,” he insisted. “It’s not English. It’s just words.”

His life in Montreal is simple, it basically consists of family and boxing. Beterbiev has an incredible work ethic, Ramsay said, and he never takes more than two weeks off from the gym, even when there is no fight scheduled. When he runs in the morning, Beterbiev listens to audiobooks, not music, and likes to stimulate his mind by playing chess. While insisting that he was not a gifted student, Beterbiev graduated with a degree in physical education.

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“I’m not stupid,” he said. “I have something in my head. But my whole focus was boxing. “

Ramsay said he has trained boxers who drank, gambled and chased women. Beterbiev does not succumb to any of the above. A devout Muslim, one of the few requests from his coach is that he occasionally accompany him in prayers.

And while Beterbiev is recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, he said there is a lot to learn and conquer.

“I’m not that good, but I’m working on it,” he said, looking serious. “I need to be before I finish my degree. I need to be a good boxer. There are many things I can improve: technique, power, physical conditioning. I really believe it in my mind and I want to improve my skills. “

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