Artur Beterbiev’s trainer and former light heavyweight contender John Scully has hit out at the WBC for deciding to approve an interim light heavyweight title bout between David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.
While Gvozdyk confirmed the terms for the fight, many hoped Benavidez would face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May. However, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman approved Benavidez’s match against Gvozdyk.
Scully, who is currently training the WBC light heavyweight champion Beterbiev ahead of his much anticipated fight with Dmitry Bivol in June, has questioned the need for an interim championship when his fighter is preparing for a significant unification bout.
He referenced Beterbiev’s previous victory over Gvozdyk in 2019 which ended in brutal fashion with Gvozdyk being hospitalised, and gave his full views to Boxing Scene.
“Them appointing one of these guys as the interim champion is insanity. It is an aspect of boxing I absolutely hate. I think many people don’t even realize that an interim champion is not necessary whatsoever.
“The real champion is active and ready to go at all times. It is unnecessary and it is wrong. The idea that one of these guys is going to call himself a WBC world champion afterwards is insane. But I refuse to acknowledge them whatsoever.
“They are absolutely not going to go down in history as a world light heavyweight champion unless they can somehow fight and defeat Artur. I cannot believe anyone in the boxing game would allow this to happen.”
Scully wasn’t done there with his assessment, stating that the winner should know they aren’t a true champion.
“Let me add that I hope the winner somehow has the honour and the intelligence and is in the grasp of reality to tell people that he will not feel like a real champion until he beats the real champion.
“Otherwise, someone walking around with one of those belts, pretending that they are the only one [champion] is a tragic joke and a slap in the face to our game.”
It is fair to say most people in boxing will always view Beterbiev as the real WBC champion until he is beaten in the ring.