‘Do I like interviews? No’: fighting for words with the evasive Artur Beterbiev
27 January 2023 12:30
The Russian fighter, who faces Anthony Yarde on Saturday, prefers to keep his life a mystery and is a master at saying nothing“Do you like interviews?” I ask the most coldly ferocious puncher in professional boxing. Artur Beterbiev, the only world champion boxer to have won every single one of his professional fights by knockout, looks quietly at me as he weighs up his response to my exasperated and mildly sarcastic question. The 38-year-old Russian, who holds the IBF, WBC and WBO world light-heavyweight titles, strokes his beard and then gives me a blunt answer: “No.”I wish I could say that I have spent the previous 20 minutes going toe-to-toe with the formidable Beterbiev, probing him with questions that persuade him to open up and discuss his mysterious aura, terrifying knockout record, Islamic faith and seemingly close relationship with the Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. But he responds to most queries with amused evasion. It’s another mismatch because Beterbiev is a master at saying nothing and our hapless interview is reeling already. Continue readingread full article
