Artur Beterbiev knows a little something about putting a sudden stop to things, having dispensed of all nine of his professional opponents by knockout. Unfortunately, the undefeated Canadian-based Russian slugger now knows what it feels like to be unable to finish what you start.
Beterbiev recently injured his right shoulder preparing for a 175-pound eliminator bout against countryman Igor Mikhalkin that was scheduled for Quebec City on November 28.
Beterbiev, 30, underwent surgery Friday in Laval, Quebec City, to repair the injury, which has forced him to pull out of the fight against Mikhalkin (17-1, 9 KOs).
“Artur had a 30-minute surgery to correct a problem he had in his right shoulder,” said Yvon Michel, who is Beterbiev’s promoter. “[The surgeon] called me afterward and said that he was very happy and that it went as expected.
“Artur will be able to start rehabilitation Wednesday, and in two weeks he should be able to start training for a return to action in early 2016.”
The hammer-fisted Artur Beterbiev was coming off a seventh-round stoppage of southpaw Alexander Johnson, whom he floored once each in the fifth and seventh rounds in June. Beterbiev’s résumé also includes knockouts in the second and fourth rounds over former champions Taverns Cloud (September 2014) and Gabriel Campillo (April 2015).
After the surgery, Michel said Beterbiev sent him a text from his hospital bed, asking his promoter to thank well-wishers for their concern.
“Artur was very disappointed that he was not allowed the chance to show the kind of fighter that he truly is,” Michel said. “But he understands the situation, and he will be back better than ever in 2016.”
Artur Beterbiev gained a seventh-round technical knockout of Alexander Johnson in Chicago in his last fight on June 12. (Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions)
