EXCLUSIVE Callum Johnson has no fear of Artur Beterbiev, ‘the light-heavyweight GGG’

Artur Beterbiev

NEW British champion Callum Johnson is prepared to take on one of the most dangerous fighters in world boxing. His team are working on securing a clash with IBF light-heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev, a fearsome Russian puncher, for later this year.

โ€œTheyโ€™re in negotiations, the IBF have called for that fight for Callum Johnson as mandatory. Like anything, itโ€™s all down to the money,โ€ Joe Gallagher, Johnsonโ€™s trainer, told Boxing News.

โ€œWeโ€™re going to fight one of the hardest punchers in world boxing. Everyone goes on about GGG but this is the GGG of the light-heavyweights. Obviously youโ€™ve got [Dmity] Bivol in there as well, [Adonis] Stevenson, and now youโ€™ve also got Beterbiev. Callum Johnson, thereโ€™s no fear in him. Heโ€™s coming off a fantastic win over Frank Buglioni and Iโ€™ve always known heโ€™s a powerful puncher. He was a good amateur, he fought Russians on the amateur circuit.โ€

Johnson and his trainer however have no particular qualms about taking this fight. โ€œI showed Beterbiev to him the other week and he said yeah, brilliant, Iโ€™ll have that,โ€ Gallagher said. โ€œCrack on, letโ€™s go for it.

artur beterbiev

โ€œAt Callum Johnsonโ€™s age, heโ€™s a fresh 32, but he needs to crack on. That shows heโ€™s fearless. He wants to go in. Callum Johnson said to me heโ€™s just the same as me, two arms, two legs. Both of us can whack, whoever lands is winning.โ€

โ€œAs long as the moneyโ€™s right, heโ€™ll fight,โ€ he concluded. โ€œThe kids are putting their health on the line, itโ€™s a huge fight for Callum Johnson, itโ€™s one of the up and coming premier names in world boxing.โ€

It’s a fight that could take place in September or October of this year.

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