ARTUR Beterbiev continues to pile the pressure on Dmitry Bivol, urging his light-heavyweight rival to sign on the dotted line.
Their first two encounters, which delivered equally compelling 12-round battles, saw identical majority decision verdicts level the score at 1-1.
It was Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs), however, who came away from their showdown in February with all four major belts at 175lbs, only for him to then be stripped of his undisputed status.
As a result, David Benavidez has since been elevated from interim to full WBC world champion, while Bivol, quite rightly, is still widely regarded as the bona fide king of his division.
Beterbiev, 21-1 (20 KOs), meanwhile, remains determined to exact his revenge, and while talks of their third fight have gone radio silent in recent weeks, it now seems that a new player has joined the negotiating table.
It is IBA president Umar Kremlev, in fact, who appears eager to stage their trilogy clash in Russia, the home nation of both combatants, towards the end of this year.
Although discredited as the leading body of amateur boxing, the International Boxing Association (IBA) now aims to become a major promotional outfit in the professional ranks.
In a bid to accelerate the process, Kremlev has reportedly held talks with political figures in Russia, hoping to secure Bivol and Beterbiev’s rubber match.
And now, it appears that he is close to doing just that, with the IBA boss posting a video of himself on FaceTime with Beterbiev.
On Instagram, Kremlev wrote: “All conditions have been created. We are waiting for the boxers’ agreement!”
Previously, Beterbiev had accused Bivol of delaying negotiations, suggesting that such tactics were designed to catch him at the right time, just as he progresses even further beyond his prime years.
