Veteran trainer Marc Ramsay apparently does not think much differently than the average hardcore boxing fan when it comes to the topic of Artur Beterbiev’s next fight.  

Like most boxing enthusiasts, the head coach of the WBC, WBO, IBF light heavyweight champion wants to see his charge swap punches with the lone other beltholder in the division, WBA titlist and fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol, for the undisputed championship.

Talk of a fight between Beterbiev and Bivol has been going on for some years but it ramped up to another level in the wake of Beterbiev’s thrilling eight-round stoppage win over his mandatory challenger, Anthony Yarde, a couple of weeks ago in London.

Beterbiev, who lives and trains in Montreal, and members of his inner circle, have been more or less coy as it relates to a fight with Bivol but that attitude appears to be changing. The 38-year-old Beterbiev is promoted by Top Rank, the Las Vegas-based promotional group headed by Bob Arum.

“Honestly, our only interest is Bivol,” Ramsay told Le Journal de Montreal. “We want the fourth belt, it’s what we’re missing. We’re going to let Top Rank negotiate all that and see what happens.”

A Beterbiev-Bivol matchup, however, is unlikely to materialize anytime soon because of considerable (perhaps even insurmountable) business obstacles at hand, as the two fighters do not share the same promoter. Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) is promoted by Matchroom, which is obligated to showcase its fighters exclusively on DAZN, the sports streaming service. Top Rank has a similar deal to promote its fighters on ESPN.

Arum, the head of Top Rank, recently reiterated to BoxingScene.com that Beterbiev-Bivol would only be possible if Top Rank gets to promote the fight and deliver it to ESPN. Arum indicated that the only way for the fight to happen is for Bivol to “push” Hearn into allowing him to defect, if only temporarily, to a rival platform.

Both Beterbiev and Bivol, moreover, seem to have different plans in place for the rest of the year.

Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) may be obligated to fight yet another mandatory challenger in Callum Smith in the spring. A recent representative of Top Rank suggested that a Beterbiev-Smith fight could take place either in England or in Beterbiev’s adopted hometown of Montreal at the end of the summer. (Beterbiev, a devout Muslim, would be unavailable to fight in the spring due to the Ramadan holiday.)

Bivol is expected to return in the spring, possibly against Joshua Buatsi. Should he be victorious, he will likely enter into a rematch with undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez in the fall at a weight class to be determined.