Boxing: When the scene must dominate

“As a coach, my outlook is definitely different and I prefer something more calculated. It’s always the battle I have with Arslanbek. [Makhmudov]. But from a strictly selling point of view…the target has been hit, and it shows. »

It’s been a long time since Mark Ramsey realized that boxing isn’t just about sticking to a game plan. There are those moments when the show dominates the athlete and is doomed to please the audience and decision-makers who see them in action for the first time.

The fight that Makhmudov won Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio, falls firmly into that category, especially since it was the first outing for a Russian-born Montrealer on American soil and that it was broadcast live on the airwaves.ESPN in the United States of America.

It is clear that Raphael Akpegiori was not exactly a Jimmy Fontaine emulator, but the fact remains that Makhmudov managed to impress the leaders of the promoter Top Rank andESPN By sending his Nigerian opponent to the mat three times in just two rounds.

said Ramsey, who generously agreed to answer Who’s questions RDS.ca While he was out of town enjoying a rare vacation.

“It’s not what I want, I would have liked something a little longer, but it was a debut [à la télévision américaine]. We wanted to make a splash. »

If Ramsay immediately realizes that Makhmudov’s disheveled style will not forgive a competitor of the caliber of Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, then the coach immediately remembers that his care was not yet there on his way to the pros.

“I’d like two or three more fights between now and Arslanbek facing a boxer like Fury,” he admitted. There must be a gradation in the level of opponents, a kind of transition towards the top. I don’t want a step that seems too high to climb.

“However, I have the impression that this is what will happen, because it is always complicated with champions. In the meantime, Arslanbek will have to deal with other contenders in the category. »

But one day, Makhmudov will find himself against one of the big names in the division, because in the end it is fate that awaits any boxer who plays in the heavyweight division. The challenge for Ramsey is to make sure Makhmudov is not just a shooting star in the landscape.

“If you look at men like [Bermane] Stiverne or [Charles] Martin, they were given the opportunity to become champions by taking on weak boxers, but they quickly measured themselves against the best (Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, editor’s note), the related Ramsay. For now, it’s okay to wait before getting a call for Fury or Usyk! »

Peterbiev: “drunk” coaching staff

Now that Makhmudov’s latest case has been settled, Ramsay will dive full-time into the upcoming Artur Beterbiev, who will defend his WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Callum Smith next August 19 at the Videotron Center in Quebec.

Beterbiev recently returned from his native Russia, where he trained for 21 days at altitude before entering training camp for the “biggest” fight of his career. So far, the coach is particularly happy with how things are going.

“Sometimes the logistics don’t follow what we have in mind, but this time it’s not,” Ramsey said. Before camp begins, we have targeted seven training partners and they will all take turns putting on the gloves with Artur. We are in a very good position…

“There is no doubt that it is a challenge that excites not only the fans, but also everyone around Artur. The coaching staff around me envy me!”

This is very good, because those close to Smith are convinced that the latter will succeed where Anthony Yard failed on January 28th. “Betterbiev is a beast if you let him be. But he’s weak, and if he has someone like Callum in front of him, he’ll take advantage of that,” his brother and former world middleweight contender Paul Smith said recently. Seconds.