Respected Russ Anber hasn’t resumed duty with Artur Beterbiev

Russ Anber will not be in Artur Beterbiev’s corner when on Saturday he and Dmitry Bivol contest the undisputed light-heavyweight title.

The Russians are to fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but after Anber, who has long wrapped Beterbiev’s hands and been his cuts man, refused to work his corner in his victory in January over Callum Smith, he will again not be involved.

Canada’s Anber declined to work Beterbiev corner’s on the grounds of him also having repeatedly worked with Smith and Smith’s older brother Liam – he decided to not work with either fighter that night – and a more recent conversation with Beterbiev’s trainer Marc Ramsey informed Anber of their plans.

Anber was most recently in the corner of Janibek Alimkhanuly for his stoppage of Andrei Mikhailovich in Sydney, Australia, and will work the corner of Bakhram Murtazaliev against Tim Tszyu next, and he told BoxingScene: “I enquired with Marc, and Marc just informed me that they were just going to go with the corner and the team that they used for the fight against Callum Smith.

“I anticipated that that was going to happen. It didn’t really come as a shock to me. I understand his position; I understand Artur’s position. That’s their choice.

“We’re friends. There’s no issue. No problem. He just said, ‘Russ, I’m going to go with the team I had in January’. I understand he has to do that, because he also has a responsibility to them. I made my decision in January and he stuck with the team that he had for the Smith fight. I knew it would happen, but I’m okay with it. 

“There’s no way I could have felt that I was doing either fighter a justice working with them knowing that I couldn’t give 100 per cent in the corner or cheer them on to win or jump for joy or celebrate with them. It was better I withdraw myself from that. 

“I certainly don’t hold it against Marc. I’m okay with it.”

Anber was then asked whether part of him regretted not working with the 39-year-old Beterbiev – Bivol is 33 – the night the IBF, WBO and WBC champion stopped Smith, and he responded: “Absolutely not. One million per cent not. I knew I was gonna do that from the time there was the buzz the fight might be happening. 

“I tried to keep it under wraps as long as I could, but after the win against Anthony Yarde [in January 2023] we knew that Callum would be next. I do not have any regrets – I would repeat it. I’d do the same thing over again. It was the right thing to do.

“One hundred per cent [I’ll be supporting Beterbiev against Bivol] – and I think he will win. He’ll win in masterful fashion as well. As good as Bivol is, and he’s talented; great skill set. I just think Artur’s on a high now, coming off of the Callum Smith fight. He prepared extremely well for that fight, and he knows that he can beat Bivol and this is what he’s been striving for his whole career.

“I firmly believe that in order for Bivol to emerge victorious, he will not only have to be perfect for every minute of every round, he must also prove to be an extremely elusive target. If Beterbiev senses that he can get to Bivol, I think his confidence will grow with every round, and it could prove to be a very painful night for Bivol.”