Wainwright weighs-in on the future of the 175-pound division

May 26, 2024

6 minutes read

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol pose at an April 15 press conference in London to announce their now postponed June 1 showdown. Photo by Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Had Artur Beterbiev not ruptured his meniscus we would have been heading into fight week for his huge meeting with Dmitry Bivol for the vacant Ring Magazine belt and undisputed light heavyweight championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

There was a collective groan when news broke that the fight was postponed because of the aforementioned injury.

Hopefully, Beterbiev is fit and healthy enough to resume training and face Bivol by the fall.

Personally, I feel it’s the best fight we can make in boxing. I love the clash of styles and believe whoever emerges victorious will have cemented their legacy as the greatest 175 pounder of their generation.

However, both men are in their 30s and won’t go on forever. Beterbiev, who is 39, has suffered several injuries over the years which has played havoc with his activity.

Meanwhile Bivol, 33, has struggled to build on the momentum and find a suitable dancer partner since disarming Canelo in May 2022.

With the Beterbiev showdown currently on ice, Bivol, The Ring’s No. 1-rated light heavyweight, will stay active by making his 12th WBA title defense against unbeaten Malik Zinad, The Ring’s No. 10 contender, on Saturday.

Underneath Bivol and Beterbiev, The Ring’s No. 2-rated light heavyweight, there is some jostling for position, including the potential mouthwatering all-London shootout between Anthony Yarde-Joshua Buatsi that has been teased but not consummated. We may see former Ring/WBA super middleweight champ Callum Smith return after brutal loss to Beterbiev. The likes of Dan Azeez and Albert Ramirez give the division more depth and that’s before we see super middleweight standouts David Benavidez and David Morrell step up in weight to enter the division. Benavidez will fight former WBC titlist Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, while the dangerous Cuban will square off against Radivoje Kalajdzic on August 3.

Beyond the current top 10 there are a handful of burgeoning future stars. Here we look at the runners and riders in alphabetical order. Some may well reach the upper echelons and even become champions while some may well not reach their potential.

Paulo Aokuso (7-0, 4 KOs)

Aokuso had less than 40 amateur fights but won several tournaments in Australia, including Golden Gloves, South East Queensland, state and national titles. He represented Australia at the 2020 Olympics, losing in the Round of 16. As a pro, he has moved quickly and in just his fourth outing he bested tough Cuban Yunieski Gonzalez, and followed that win by beating Renold Quinlan. Could the 27-year-old be the next big thing from Down Under?

Khalil Coe (8-0-1, 6 KOs)

Coe was a very good amateur domestically in America. However, it is his first-round knockout over amateur standout Julio Cesar La Cruz that he’s best known for. After turning professional in 2021 it took time for his career to ignite. He was held to a draw in his second fight, but earlier this year the 27-year-old New Jersey native threw down a marker when he showcased his power and skill to bludgeon previously unbeaten Juan Gerardo Osuna (20-0, 18 KOs) into defeat in just two rounds. The Matchroom fighter is ready to start making a move.

Umar Dzambekov (8-0, 5 KOs)

Dzambekov was born in Russia but while still a boy, he moved to Austria, where he won nine national titles and over 150 amateur fights. He earned a close win over fellow standout Atif Oberlton (10-0, 8 KOs) the unpaid ranks before switching to the professional side of the sport where he was snapped up by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions. He has relocated his training camps to Los Angeles and is trained by Marvin Somodio at the famed Wild Card Boxing Club. The 26-year-old southpaw is very poised and has good precision, which have led to comparisons with Dmitry Bivol and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Umar Dzambekov. Photo by Lina Baker / 360 Promotions

Willy Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs)

The Scotsman was a standout amateur winning European and World Junior Championships before turning professional in 2017. Hutchinson was highly regarded and signed up by Shelly Finkel and later by Frank Warren. His early career was something of a slow burn before he dropped down from 175 pounds and fought Lennox Clarke for the vacant British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles. It proved too soon and “Braveheart” was caught and dropped whilst pulling back from a shot and stopped in Round 5. It was a harsh lesson, one Hutchinson took time to learn and didn’t fight for 15 months. When he reemerged it was back at a more healthy 175 pounds. He’s won four fights against progressively better opposition. The now 25-year-old will face former world title challenger Craig Richards in Riyadh on Saturday. That is his proving ground to see if he could potentially belong in elite company.

Imam Khataev (7-0, 7 KOs)

Khataev was a huge amateur, winning three Russian national titles – impressive, given the deep talent pool in his homeland. Internationally, he claimed bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he drew acclaim for an eye-opening third-round knockout over Gazimagomed Jalidov in the quarterfinals. He also took bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and fought in the pro-am World Series of Boxing. He moved to Australia but it wasn’t until he signed with Canadian promoter Eye of The Tiger that he was kept active and the results are clear to see. The 29-year-old is extremely strong and physically imposing, plus has a very good Ring I.Q which has some likening him to unified champ Artur Beterbiev. Most recently, Khataev impressed by stopping rugged Latvian Richards Bolotniks in six rounds.

Khataev celebrates his second-round stoppage of South Korea’s Gi Sung Gwak on March 12, 2023, in Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Daniel Lapin (10-0, 4 KOs)

Lapin had 290 amateur fights and won multiple national titles in Crimea. The Poland native moved to Crimea when he was young and began boxing at age 6. He is Usyk’s buddy and has appeared on the undisputed heavyweight champ’s last four undercards. At 6-foot-6 and with a southpaw stance he is an issue for anyone who can’t get inside. The 26-year-old impressed in his quick win recently in Riyadh.

Atif Oberlton (10-0, 8 KOs)

Oberlton was a decorated amateur domestically where he won the 2016 and 2018 National Golden Gloves titles and 2018 Elite National Championships title. The Philadelphian fell short of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, losing in the trials to Rahim Gonzalez. Since turning professional in 2021 the 25-year-old has moved at a reasonable pace. He has a good jab and is defensively responsible, but it is his power that catches the eye through 10 fights.

Dilshodbek Ruzmetov (3-0, 1 KOs)

The Uzbekistan-born fighter was a standout amateur who won silver at the 2019 World Championships and reached the last 16 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before claiming gold at 2021 Asian Championships. He made his pro debut in 2021 but it’s been slow progress since for the 25-year-old southpaw. He’s tabbed to fight in Philadelphia on June 22, so hopefully he’ll become more active. Looks to have the potential to make a name for himself just needs the opportunity.

Mehmet Unal (9-0, 7 KOs)

Ünal was a good amateur, collecting several national titles. He represented his country at the 2016 Rio Olympics, losing to the eventual gold medalist. The Turkish fighter caught the attention of Eye of The Tiger, who brought Ünal to Montreal, where he now lives. He just took part in his sixth fight in less than nine months and has clearly benefited with the quick turnaround and improved significantly during that time frame. Ünal is physically strong, likes to fight on the front foot, swarming his opponent and beating them down to head and body. The 31-year-old is like a run-away train going downhill, if you can’t stop him you’re in trouble. He’s coming off a career best win over the usually durable Rodolfo Gomez Jr., who had never been stopped despite sharing a ring with Diego Pacheco, Lester Martinez and, most recently, Ahmed Elbali. Unal scored a beatdown fourth-round stoppage to raise his stock.

Ben Whittaker (7-0, 5 KOs)

The gifted Englishman claimed bronze at the 2019 World Championships and bronze at the 2020 Olympics. Since turning professional Whittaker has showcased his undoubted talent but has gained some criticism for showboating against inferior opponents. He will take a long awaited step up against an unbeaten opponent on June 15.