Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Rodney Berman: Promoter, Humanist

There's an adage in the business side of boxing: Never fall in love with a fighter. This mantra of emotional distance I'm sure made its way into the boxing vernacular because of the many things that can go wrong with the fighter/representation dynamic. Fighters will leave. They will get into trouble. They will underperform. Often fighters won't appreciate those who helped guide them once they make it towards the top. 

And yet here's Rodney Berman, the legendary South African promoter who has been in the game since 1977, and he's not one for creating barriers between his company, Golden Gloves, and the fighters he represents. Working in the Golden Gloves offices every day is former junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell. Berman regards Mitchell as a son. They have been in business together for 40 years and it's a relationship that Berman cherishes. 

Rodney Berman
Courtesy of Golden Gloves

Or how about this: Berman no longer allows anyone to sign with Golden Gloves that doesn't enroll in their pension program. And yes, you read that correctly. They have a pension program that is invested in one of the leading South African financial services firms. 

"We really care about our fighters," said Berman. "Every time one of our guys fight, we take 10% of his purse and it goes into Old Mutual, a leading investment finance company in South Africa. We have a life insurance policy for our fighters without any expense. We have a funeral policy without any expense. 

"And regarding the retirement policy, we take out a five-year tax-free investment. There is one caveat to it. In the first five years of the plan, if a fighter wants to withdraw his money, he needs my permission...And I've shown them when you don't touch the policy for five years, the growth in that policy is unbelievable with compound interest. Many keep their money in for much longer. It's very gratifying to me that the fighters have taken to it. And a lot of these fighters have done very well from it."   

Berman takes great pride in how he looks after his fighters. He's not interested in his boxers becoming "opponents." He believes in matching them appropriately, knowing when to roll the dice and when to understand that a given opportunity isn't worth the cost/benefit analysis. 

And this takes us to Kevin Lerena (30-2, 14 KOs), Berman's heavyweight, who takes on undefeated Justis Huni (8-0, 4 KOs) on Friday's Joshua-Ngannou card. Lerena might best be known as the heavyweight who lost a controversial fight to Daniel Dubois. In a surprising development, Lerena knocked down Dubois three times in the first round. Dubois, who was seriously hurt and took a knee for two of the knockdowns, was allowed to continue and then wound up knocking Lerena out at the end of the third round from a punch that connected well after the bell rang. Berman appealed on his behalf, but a no-contest or even a rematch wasn't granted. 

Lerena rebounded since that defeat with two victories, including a win over former cruiserweight champion Ryad Merhy. Berman admits that he's rolling the dice with Lerena against Huni, who is one of the top young fighters from Australia and has a deep amateur background. But he likes the fact that Lerena has the greater professional experience in the matchup and that Huni isn't a huge puncher. 

And it's here that Berman's humanism shines through again. Berman wants Lerena to have a fulfilling life after boxing and believes in matching him compassionately. Berman's plan for Lerena involves his fighter, win or lose against Huni, aiming for the bridgerweight world title instead of going after the big boys at heavyweight. 

"In his everyday life, Lerena is a paramedic," said Berman. "He drives around saving people’s lives. He's a breath of fresh air...Kevin is one of the strongest-minded people that I've met. He's very philosophical. He takes things in stride...

"However, he's in the unfortunate position, that he has the heart of the lion, but it's inescapable with the giants in the ring today that size is against him. And even with Huni, size and weight are against Kevin. But it doesn't deter him.

"Kevin can be a fireball. He has very fast hand speed. It's going to be a very intriguing fight. I think it's going to be a distance fight, because I don't think either man will be able to stop the other. And I think Kevin's ability is being very underrated."

Berman has heard the criticism regarding bridgerweight, but he believes that for the right fighter it serves a purpose. And Berman admits that he's not too keen to match Lerena with any of the other huge hitters at heavyweight. Although Lerena has decent enough power, Berman is concerned about his relatively small body frame. Lerena had fought at cruiserweight until 2020. Lerena is already 31 and Berman wants him to have a fruitful life after boxing. 

Berman with Marvin Hagler (left) and Roberto Duran (right)
Photo courtesy of Golden Gloves

Berman has had dozens of world champions in his 45 years in the sport. One of his greatest accomplishments has been his role in helping to integrate South African boxing. When he started promoting during the height of Apartheid, it was illegal for a white promoter to represent a Black boxer. In the stands there were roped off sections for Black patrons. There were still South African Black champions and South African white champions.

"They were terrible times," said Berman. "It was shocking. When I think back to the Apartheid days, it was surreal...Welcome Ncita, for example, was training in a one-room schoolroom. The conditions were pathetic." 

Berman was one of the first promoters in South Africa to have an integrated promotional company and he worked with the IBF in particular to help promote Black South African fighters. His first world champion was Ncita, a Black fighter who won the 122-lb. title in 1990 and made six title defenses. Another early Black champion was Vuyani Bungu, who defeated Kennedy McKinney twice and made 13 junior featherweight title defenses. 

Boxing has taken Berman, 81, around the world and back. He relishes the South African underdog role in the world boxing scene and his fighters have sprung major upsets, including Sugar Boy Malinga over Nigel Benn and Corrie Sanders over Wladimir Klitschko. He was the lead promoter in Hasim Rahman's upset victory over Lennox Lewis in South Africa, where Berman had a memorable hour-length phone call with Nelson Mandela in the lead up to the fight.

Although Berman has lived a full boxing life, he still is heavily involved in the next generation of South African boxing talent. In particular, he's very high on junior middleweights Shervantaigh Koopman (13-0, 9 KOs) and Roarke Knapp (17-1-1, 12 KOs). And he's still trying to develop world-level fighters despite the weakness of the South African currency (which makes it tough to pay for opponents) and the distance of South Africa from the world's boxing hot spots. Throughout his time in the sport, Berman has had to navigate myriad constrictions and he takes pride in what he's been able to accomplish despite exceedingly challenging social, political, and economic headwinds.  

This week Berman will be in Saudi Arabia looking after Lerena's best interests. Berman is no stranger to going on the road. He'll be hoping that his fighter can pull off the upset, but most of all, he will want his fighter to make sure that he can fight for another day. 

The sorrow in Berman's voice is still there when he talks about Corey Sanders' untimely death from the hands of armed robbers. To Berman, Sanders was one of the sweetest people he has ever met in the sport. Berman understands how life can be precious, how a boxer's life in or out of the ring can change in the blink of an eye. He wants his fighters to accomplish great things in the ring, but also to have a fulfilling tomorrow.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Opinions and Observations: Kholmatov-Ford

By the fifth round in Saturday's fight, Raymond Ford and his coach Anthony Rodriguez decided to scrap their initial game plan. Although Ford had climbed the ranks in his pro career as an outside fighter, flashing hand speed and athleticism from range, that wasn't working against Otabek Kholmatov. Kholmatov had the longer reach, but perhaps more importantly, he landed his best power shots when he extended his arms, especially a looping left hand. And for whatever reason, Ford had trouble defensing those long-range, odd-angled bombs. 

So, Ford and Rodriguez made the bold play to try to beat Kholmatov on the inside. And there were moments and rounds in the fight where Ford unloaded blistering combinations and body shots from up close, getting the better of the action. Ford was able to stem the tide of a runaway Kholmatov victory, but he didn't completely turn it. Many of the rounds were close. Even with Ford on the inside, Kholmatov won his share of rounds in the second half with volume and quick combinations to the body. Going into the final round of the fight, Ford was down by three points on two scorecards and up by one on the third.

Kholmatov (right) started the fight well from range
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Rodriguez provided Ford with perfect instructions throughout the fight. Combining motivational exhortations with specific technical and strategic points, Rodriguez helped Ford understand the task at hand and didn't sugarcoat his fighter's performance. He beseeched Ford to let his hands go more and not fight in spurts. Going into the last round, he implored Ford to win the round big. 

The first half of the 12th was strange in that neither fighter displayed the urgency needed to secure the victory. Kholmatov danced around the ring as if he had already had the fight locked up, which was an odd decision in that so many of the rounds were competitive. He fired off ineffectual combinations that had little steam on them. Although Ford was looking to land power shots, he mostly stalked and pressured without letting let his hands go with any type of abandon. 

However, in the final minute of the round, Ford connected with a blistering combination with Kholmatov against the ropes. The shots hurt Kholmatov who fell slightly forward. Ford gently pulled Kholmatov down to the canvas and referee Charlie Fitch determined that a knockdown shouldn't be awarded, that Ford's pull was the reason why Kholmatov went down. It was a coin-flip judgment: the kind that referees could call either way and be justified in their decision making. 

But once the action resumed, Kholmatov was still badly hurt. He went into full disengagement mode. As he tried to evade Ford along the perimeter of the ring, Ford shot a pulsating right hand that rattled him. Kholmatov stumbled along the ropes and banged into the corner post. He was completely turned around. Ford seized the opportunity and followed up with a blistering left hand with Kholmatov unable to defend himself. Fitch had seen enough and stopped the fight with seven seconds left. 

***

Kholmatov-Ford was unusual in that the fight was contested for a vacant title (in this case featherweight). So often vacant title fights pit a heavily favored fighter against an opponent far less deserving. This was one of the rare occasions where the boxers were evenly matched; they were both worthy of being a champion. Yes, Kholmatov certainly lost the bout, but the little-seen fighter from Uzbekistan (who entered the fight at just 12-0) showed that he had championship-level ability. Furthermore, although Ford was himself only 14-0-1 entering the fight, he demonstrated a multiplicity of dimensions that befit a world champ. 

And perhaps that's the biggest takeaway from Ford's performance. Not a pressure fighter by trade, he remained in the match by staying close to Kholmatov's chest, by being more coordinated on the inside. Not known for his power (just seven knockouts in his 15 prior fights), Ford put together the punches to get a needed stoppage. 

Kholmatov on the canvas seconds before the fight ends
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

It had not been a straight line to the top for Ford. He had very tough fights during his development against Edward Vazquez (who subsequently gave Joe Cordina a rough time in a title fight) and Aaron Perez. Ford didn't scream out as "future champ" in those fights, but to be fair to him and his trainer, they went back to the gym and put in the work to improve. 

The reason why Ford was able to win Saturday's fight was that he had enough in his toolkit to make adjustments. Although he had never been known as a pressure fighter, he clearly had worked with Rodriguez in the gym for such a circumstance. When it was time to make the change, Ford didn't look lost in this style. He knew how to pressure, stalk, and get off combinations in close while limiting damage. 

Furthermore, when Ford needed a decisive ending to the fight, he didn't let the big moment get to him. He wasn't a deer in the headlights. He didn't smother himself or fight crudely, trying to accomplish something that was beyond his capability. He was clear-minded. He landed authoritative shots and when the moment was finally there in the fight's dying seconds, he didn't freeze. He seized it and forced the stoppage. 

It's this well-roundedness that speaks to Ford's future potential. Yes, he didn't fight perfectly. His pressure was inconsistent. He didn't display the volume needed to win enough rounds. It's also worth noting how porous his defense was from the outside. But he adjusted. He found something that worked and was able to win a title far removed from his preferred style. That's championship mettle. 

All parties need to be congratulated for Kholmatov-Ford. I will hold my nose here and congratulate the WBA for ordering the fight and for having these two as its top contenders. That is probably the best vacant title fight we'll see for some time. I also want to congratulate the promoters. Top Rank decided to feature this fight as a headline attraction and not bury it deeper on an undercard. They certainly could have. They had just signed Kholmatov and had no promotional piece of Ford. It's not like they had sunk a lot of time or money into either guy, but they believed in the fight and it delivered. 

Ford's promoter, Eddie Hearn, deserves a lot of credit as well. Ford was matched tough on his way up and didn't always look convincing, but Hearn stuck with him when perhaps others would have made a different choice. Ford has now become Matchroom's first U.S. world champion developed from scratch. 

And finally, let's congratulate Ford and Kholmatov. On another night Kholmatov certainly could have and would have been victorious. He displayed a terrific work rate, creative and unusual punches, and a surprising amount of athleticism and hand speed. I'm sure that he will have another opportunity for a title in the near future. But the ultimate victor was Ford, who just had a little more in his locker and all the intangibles one would want in a champion. He would not be denied. His determination and resolve led to an unforgettable night of boxing. When the chips were down and he was on his way to losing, he dug down deep and said, not tonight. It was example of boxing at its finest.    

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Michigan's Next Boxing Wave

Michigan has produced several fighters who rank among the best in the sport's history, including Joe Louis, Tommy Hearns, James Toney, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. And while the cupboard has never fully emptied, with recent notables such as the Dirrell brothers, Tony Harrison, Claressa Shields and Ra'eese Aleem proudly carrying on the state's boxing tradition, Michigan right now doesn't have the number of elite boxing talents that it once did. 

Dmitriy Salita is placing much of his promotional company's future in the hands of Michigan's next crop of fighters. Salita, who resides in Michigan and has promoted several cards in the Detroit area, has become a believer in this next wave. With his new boxing series, Big Time Boxing USA, set to debut on DAZN on Tuesday, Salita intends to showcase Michigan's boxing talent to a global audience. His first event in the series will take place at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit.

Salita will have six of his fighters appearing on the broadcast (although one of them has his fight still up in the air at publication time). I spoke with Salita about each fighter and what his expectations are for them on Tuesday and the next 12-18 months. His excitement level about his crop was palpable.  

Photo courtesy of Salita Promotions

Ardreal Holmes (14-0, 5 KOs) vs. Marlon Harrington (10-1, 9 KOs): Junior Middleweights

Tuesday's main event features an all-Michigan matchup between Holmes (Flint) and Harrington (Detroit). It's a sink-or-swim fight for both in that Salita promotes Harrington and co-promotes Holmes with DiBella Entertainment. These two fighters are intimately familiar with each other, having sparred against each other throughout their careers, and there's also bad blood between them. 

Harrington is the puncher in the matchup while Holmes is a fighter who relies much more on timing and movement. Harrington's one loss was to the trickster Marquis Taylor, who we've subsequently found out to be is an excellent fighter. Holmes had a troubling performance in his last fight against Wendy Toussaint, where he was fortunate to win by a split decision in a fight that was stopped early because of a cut. In that fight, Holmes had issues handling Toussaint's aggression and physicality. 

Salita has liked how Harrington responded from his loss, stopping the undefeated Gheith Karim in the first round. Salita knows that Holmes can be tricky, but he can also be hit. Salita is very satisfied that both agreed to take the fight; they both could have gone in different directions. This fight will very much be for pride and bragging rights. 

Ali Izmailov (11-0, 7 KOs): Light Heavyweight

Izmailov is a Russian light heavyweight based in Detroit who has already established himself on the national scene with an impressive win over Charles Foster on ShoBox last year. Trained by John David Jackson, Izmailov is physically imposing, hits hard, but also has a solid boxing foundation. 

He fights Britton Norwood (13-4-1) on Tuesday and the bout is expected to be of the showcase variety. Izmailov is already 30 so his future is now. Salita has had difficulty finding opponents who will fight him. He's hoping that Izmailov's performance on Tuesday can lead to bigger opportunities in the light heavyweight division, but he understands that Izmailov might need to go the sanctioning body route to get a notable name to face him. 

Joseph Hicks (9-0, 6 KOs): Junior Middleweight

Hicks qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, but like a few others didn't wind up representing the country in 2021 due to the pandemic-related politics associated with the 2021 Games. Despite Hicks' amateur pedigree, he didn't start his professional career until early 2022. Hicks is already 30 and Salita is trying to move him quickly; he fought five times in 2023. 

Although he lives in Lansing (and is originally from Grand Rapids), Hicks trains with Kay Koroma out of Las Vegas. Interestingly, although middleweight is a relatively barren division in terms of top-flight prospects in the U.S., Hicks and his team have made the decision to drop down to junior middleweight for Tuesday's fight. He faces Argentina's Ricardo Ruben Villalba (20-10-1), who isn't supposed to win, but this fight will be an opportunity to determine how Hicks does at the new weight class. 

Salita likes Hicks' strong work ethic and amateur pedigree. He regards Hicks as a high-character person (Hicks was due to captain the 2020 U.S. Olympic team). Salita believes that Hicks' desire and willingness to do whatever it takes will help separate him from other fellow prospects as he moves up the ranks. 

Joshua James Pagan (9-0, 4 KOs): Lightweight

Although Pagan's power isn't a major facet of his game, he possesses a strong amateur pedigree, where he won the 2021 USA Nationals. Salita has become more of a believer in Pagan in every fight. Pagan has already beaten three undefeated fighters. Trained by his father, Pagan has a very strong boxing foundation. He has recently spent time in Miami working with Herman Caicedo, trainer of Luis Ortiz, Michel Rivera, and others, and earned rave reviews. 

Pagan, from Grand Rapids, was supposed to face undefeated Detroiter Dwane Taylor (7-0, 7 KOs) on Tuesday. However, Taylor had a late sparring injury. As of publication, Salita is still looking for a replacement opponent. Pagan may or may not appear on the card. Either way, Pagan will be a featured fighter on Salita's shows. 

Da'Velle Smith (7-0, 6 KOs): Middleweight

Dearborn's Smith has quickly established himself as one of the hardest hitters in the Detroit area. And Salita doesn't mince words regarding Smith's power potential, proudly relaying that several old-timers on the Detroit boxing scene told him that Smith might be the biggest puncher from the city since Tommy Hearns. 

Smith, 23, didn't have a notable amateur background and still possesses a rawness in the ring. In addition to his power, he's a surprisingly good athlete. He still rushes his work a little bit. 

Salita calls Smith his "blue-chipper," and thinks that he could rise fast in the middleweight division. He fights Argentina's Rolando Mansilla (19-13-1, 9 KOs). Smith is expected to win without too much trouble, but the hope is that he creates a highlight-reel type of statement. Like Pagan, Smith also went to Miami recently to work with Caicedo. Smith trains out of the Kronk gym and Salita believes that he could beat several top middleweight prospects right now.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Ring Magazine -- Fight and Trainer of the Year

I wrote two articles for Ring Magazine's 2023 awards edition. For the Fight of the Year article, which featured Luis Nery against Azat Hovhannisyan, click here. To ready my article on Brian McIntyre, the Trainer of the Year, click here.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

On Beterbiev

A boxing friend of mine, Arran McLachlan, reached out in early 2014 to tell me how excited he was about this emerging Montreal-based Russian prospect, Artur Beterbiev. I think at that point Beterbiev was 4-0 and fighting six-rounders. Arran insisted that Beterbiev, who was an Olympian, had a style that would play spectacularly in the pros and expected him to become a world champion at light heavyweight. Now all of this sounded a little outlandish or fanciful to me, but Arran, like myself, wasn't someone who often fell in love with boxing prospects. He saw something special in Beterbiev and I noted that. So, I studied up on Beterbiev. 

And then I made a classic mistake in fighter evaluation: focusing too much on what a fighter couldn't do, instead of what could make him special. I immediately noticed Beterbiev's slow hands, ponderous footwork and lack of athleticism. Those were big red flags to me, as they would be if I had been evaluating any prospect. Although I observed his heavy hands, his ability to fire off damaging punches at close range and how ordinary-looking blows wound up brutalizing an opponent, those factors weren't enough to sway me regarding Beterbiev's future. 

I relayed my scouting report to Arran, the good and the bad, and although Arran is significantly younger than me, he treated ME with kid gloves. He was essentially saying to me, just you wait...I understand all your concerns and he will address them in due time. Arran again reminded me that Beterbiev was an excellent amateur in the punch-counting system, where a person’s power didn't carry any additional favor from the judges. Ultimately, he believed that Beterbiev had significant craft to go along with his substantial power. I remained unmoved. 

Later in 2014, Beterbiev was dropped in a flash knockdown by Jeff Page, a club fighter from Kansas. In truth, it was more of a slip/foot entanglement issue than a legit punch, but I used that opportunity to mock Arran. I can still remember the glee in those messages that I had sent to him. I questioned Arran's judgment. I was convinced by my own eyes. That Beterbiev stopped Page in two rounds was immaterial to me. 

And yet here we are, ten years later. Beterbiev is now among the best fighters in the sport, with three title belts at 175 lbs. and eight championship defenses. Arran and I were still exchanging messages about Beterbiev on Saturday as Artur was on his way to knocking out Callum Smith. But this time there was no pushback from me. I was reveling in the quality of Beterbiev's performance, just like Arran was. 

Beterbiev's jab was a key weapon against Smith
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

Now, it must be said that much has changed with Beterbiev in the previous ten years. He has continued to add to his game. He out-jabbed Smith on Saturday, which was quite an accomplishment considering that he was shorter and had a significant reach disadvantage. However, he was the one controlling the action with the stick, pumping it to the head and body, and using it as a clever counter. 

The first knockdown of the fight started with a vicious counter right hand by Beterbiev, where he slipped the jab and came over the top with the short right to the side of Smith's head. It was a similar maneuver to how he had initially hurt Joe Smith. And it's now obvious watching Beterbiev that he has become far more than just a brute slugger with heavy hands.

Beterbiev's lead trainer, Marc Ramsay, has played a huge role in Beterbiev's technical development. Having interviewed Ramsay twice over the years about Beterbiev, the trainer has always praised Beterbiev's boxing skills. Here's Ramsay in 2022: 

"You know what’s fun about being the trainer of Artur is that he’s a very good boxer and he can do a little bit of everything. He can box. He can put pressure. He can slug. We’ve done all of that already." (For the complete article with Ramsay, click here.) 

Ultimately what has made Beterbiev into an elite fighter, as opposed to just a guy with heavy hands, is a combination of winning intangibles: 

1.     Physical and Intellectual Aptitude

2.     Coachability

3.     Humility

Ramsay has been working with Beterbiev on various techniques to improve his boxing ability. But all of that would be meaningless unless Beterbiev agreed that he needed to further refine himself in the ring. And this is quite extraordinary. Ramsay is training perhaps the biggest puncher in the sport and says to him: you know what, it's not enough. And Beterbiev agrees! And more than that, Beterbiev has incorporated these teachings into the ring. 

Whether it's changing the eye level with power punches, controlling opponents with the jab, or how and when to throw the proper counter, Beterbiev now utilizes these facets as if they were second nature. 

Unlike so many fighters with high knockout percentages, Beterbiev didn't fall in love with his power. He realized that there was still work to do. This speaks highly of his intellect, as well as his relentless desire to improve. 

At 38 Beterbiev is now a complete fighter. He has delivered on the promise that Arran saw a decade ago. But he has also steadily improved. He wasn't utilizing foot feints and cute lateral movement in 2014. I can assure you of that!

Beterbiev after Saturday's victory
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams

I have picked against Beterbiev in the past and been wrong. I've watched him twice live and have marveled at aspects of his performances. I saw him stop an excellent version of Gvozdyk and destroy a fellow champion in Joe Smith. I still don't know what happens if he ever fights Dmitry Bivol, but I do understand one thing: Beterbiev is one of the best fighters in the entire sport. But I was a little late to the party on him.  

In one sense I was correct about Beterbiev; the fighter of 2014 was incomplete, but what I didn't know and what Arran and Ramsay did, is that he had much more to offer than what he had displayed on his fight nights. It pays to do your homework, to ask around, and not be so settled in a first evaluation. There are fighters who have a tremendous aptitude for improvement. They may have significant skills or intangibles that won't manifest against lesser opponents in short fights.   

We all like to remember the occasions where we got it right, a spectacular fight pick, an identification of a special talent well before the general public latches on. But it's important to remember when and how we get things wrong too. As someone who has immersed himself in boxing over the last three decades, I whiffed here. Even before getting into questions about aptitude, I should have recognized that his combination of uncommon power and success in the point-counting amateur system was a winning formula in the professional ranks.  

But Beterbiev has become even so much more than that 2014 version. He has put in the work. He has ignored his own headlines. His only goal is to become the best. He is now 20-0 with 20 knockouts, but his resume somehow still undersells him: he's the complete package. And I hope that we all know that now, even if it took some of us longer than needed. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 
snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.