Deep Freeze Beterbiev defends WBC crown in The Ice Palace

WBC Press

Deep Freeze Beterbiev defends WBC crown in The Ice Palace

The light heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Council, Artur Beterbiev, will defend his crown on March 20, against the German Adam Deines at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia.

Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) was scheduled to face Chinese Meng Fanlong in March 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced him to reschedule that fight for October 2020. When Fanlong was unable to secure a visa to travel to Russia, he was replaced by Deines. A month before the fight was supposed to take place, Beterbiev suffered a rib injury and the fight was postponed and rescheduled for January 30. But Beterbiev tested positive for COVID-19 and the fight was postponed again.

The 35-year-old Beterbiev won the WBC belt by defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk by TKO in the 10th round in October 2019.
Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs), 29, has won two fights in a row since he lost to Meng Fanlong by decision in June 2019.