Frank Warren Blasts Tony Bellew Over Artur Beterbiev Comments-"It's a stupid thing to say!"
Boxing promoter Frank Warren has strongly criticized former boxer Tony Bellew's comments suggesting that Artur Beterbiev's recent dominant performance might be due to performance-enhancing drugs. Beterbiev, the undefeated light-heavyweight champion, scored a devastating seventh-round knockout against Callum Smith in Montreal last month to retain his titles. However, the victory was overshadowed by news of "atypical findings" in a December VADA drug test, although Beterbiev was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing. In the aftermath of the fight, Bellew stated, "Beterbiev is a beast and a fighter who is getting stronger as he gets older, which is hard to believe, but he is!" Warren, Beterbiev's promoter, took strong exception to Bellew's remarks, calling them "a stupid thing to say." "You can't make those allegations unless there is some sort of proof," Warren told Boxing King Media. "It's a stupid thing to say. If there is proof then great, let him face the consequences, but just saying it and just putting it out there is ridiculous." Warren emphasized the importance of upholding fair play and due process in boxing. "Every boxer deserves the right to compete without facing baseless accusations," he said. "We should celebrate Artur's incredible achievement and his upcoming undisputed fight with Bivol, not tarnish it with unfounded rumors." Beterbiev is now set to face Dmitry Bivol in a highly anticipated unification clash, with the winner being crowned the undisputed light-heavyweight champion. The fight is likely to take place sometime in the summer, potentially in Saudi Arabia.
