Artur Beterbiev will headline the Premier Boxing Champions card on ESPN next month against veteran Ezequiel Maderna.
Beterbiev, who now calls Montreal home, competed for his native Russia in two Olympic Games before turning pro. However, he’s been inactive for almost a full year since injuring his shoulder and subsequently having surgery.
“I have never been out of the ring for a whole year as an amateur or professional so I can't wait to fight,” said Beterbiev. “We've watched some tapes of Maderna and he seems like a complete fighter. We will be ready on June 4.”
Maderna (23-2, 15 KOs), meanwhile, represented Argentina in the 2008 Olympics and burst onto the pro scene several years ago. His only losses have come against unbeaten contenders.
“I'm working very hard in preparation of this fight,” said Maderna. “My goal is to fight a perfect fight that will be very important to my professional future.”
Also slated for the televised portion of the card will be a 10-round welterweight bout between unbeaten prospects Bryant Perrella (13-0, 12 KOs) and David Grayton (14-0, 10 KOs).