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.
โTheyโre in negotiations, the IBF have called for that fight for Callum Johnson as mandatory. Like anything, itโs all down to the money,โ Joe Gallagher, Johnsonโs trainer, told Boxing News.
โWeโre 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 youโve got [Dmity] Bivol in there as well, [Adonis] Stevenson, and now youโve also got Beterbiev. Callum Johnson, thereโs no fear in him. Heโs coming off a fantastic win over Frank Buglioni and Iโve always known heโs 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. โI showed Beterbiev to him the other week and he said yeah, brilliant, Iโll have that,โ Gallagher said. โCrack on, letโs go for it.
โAt Callum Johnsonโs age, heโs a fresh 32, but he needs to crack on. That shows heโs fearless. He wants to go in. Callum Johnson said to me heโs just the same as me, two arms, two legs. Both of us can whack, whoever lands is winning.โ
โAs long as the moneyโs right, heโll fight,โ he concluded. โThe kids are putting their health on the line, itโs a huge fight for Callum Johnson, itโs 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.