Russian boxers Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight for title of absolute world light heavyweight champion. The confrontation, which has been unsuccessfully tried to organize in recent years, has been officially announced: the fight will take place in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) on June 1.
Sports explains why this event is so significant and what impact it will have on domestic boxing.
1. What will be at stake? Since there are two light heavyweight champions who hold all the titles, the athletes will fight for all the belts in the division. Beterbiev is a world champion according to the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). As for Bivol, he holds the World Boxing Association (WBA Super) champion title. Also in December, a native of the Kyrgyz Tokmak won the title of champion of the International Boxing Organization (IBO).
“
"I hope we fight in 2024. It seems to me that Bivol has been planning to meet me for 4-5 years. He constantly talks about it, just talks… I hope one day he will stop doing this and fight with me.” Artur Beterbiev in an interview with Boxing Scene
2. What else is so interesting about the fight?
- Both light heavyweights are undefeated: Beterbiev has 20 triumphs, Bivol has 22.
- Not a single fight of Arthur reached a decision: all were won by technical or direct knockouts.
- Not a single fight of Arthur reached a decision: all were won by technical or direct knockouts.
- Not a single fight of Arthur reached a decision: all were won by technical or direct knockouts.
- Not a single fight of Arthur reached a decision: all were won by technical or direct knockouts.
- Not a single fight of Arthur reached a decision: all were won by technical or direct knockouts.
- li>
- Title fights involving two Russians are a rarity. For example, Beterbiev has never fought with his compatriots, and Bivol only once defended the WBA Super belt from Umar Salamov.
- If we go to the post-Soviet space, then even the meeting of Alexander Usik against the Russian Murat Gassiev in July 2018 fades against the background of the poster “Beterbiev VS Bivol” (the Ukrainian won by unanimous decision and became the absolute world champion in the first heavyweight).
- In the history of Russian sports there was only one absolute world champion in boxing. In November 2001, it became the famous Konstantin Tszyu (according to WBC/WBA/IBF junior welterweight).
By the way, Tszyu himself has admitted more than once that he does not welcome a fight between Russians, since “Beterbiev and Bivol should continue to defeat foreigners, and not meet each other.”
3. What to expect from our stars in the ring? Clash of styles. Beterbiev is a real predator, a knockout fighter with a 100% record of early victories. But Bivol is its complete opposite. He has a 50% win rate by knockout (11 of 22) and a streak of nine unanimous decision victories. Accurate technique, confident work on points and a minimum number of errors.
The main intrigue: will 39-year-old Beterbiev be able to break through such a defense? Or will the older boxer not be able to reach the 33-year-old Bivol and will be “beaten” on points?
4. What were the last boxing fights? In January in Quebec, Canada, Beterbiev defeated Callum Smith by technical knockout in the seventh round. The Briton was unable to do anything against the Russian competing under the Canadian flag, and the seconds had to stop the fight after two knockdowns of the challenger.
Bivol at the end of 2023 defeated the British representative Lyndon Arthur after 12 rounds of a master class.
The main victory in Bivol’s career remains the triumph over the Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. In May 2022, the Russian defeated the belt collector by unanimous decision and inflicted the second defeat in his professional career on the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world at that time.
“»This will be the biggest test of my career. I know that Beterbiev is physically stronger than Canelo. He has good technique. A lot of people talk about his striking power, but they forget about his technique. Yes, he has a very strong punch, but his technique is also at a high level.»
Dmitry Bivolna YouTube channel Matchroom Boxing
5. Is this the main battle of 2024? For our boxing, no doubt. However, on the world stage in the spring there will be a fight that, let’s be honest, causes a much greater resonance.
Postponed again… Not on February 17, but in May, Usik and Tyson Fury will fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion. As in the case of Beterbiev and Bivol, both boxers are undefeated and the meeting place will be Saudi Arabia, where the chairman of the country's General Directorate of Entertainment, Turki Al ash-Sheikh, is doing great things.
By the way, Al ash-Sheikh has already named the name of his next opponent winner in the Russian confrontation. It will be the undefeated Australian Jay Opetai, who competes in the first heavyweight division.
Свежие комментарии