On October 12, WBA and IBO World Light Heavyweight champion Dmitriy Bivol will meet WBC, WBO, and IBF World Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in a unification bout. They were supposed to meet months ago, but Beterbiev’s training injury postponed it.
Beterbiev has stopped all twenty opponents, 20-0, it is clear that he is the heavier of the two with 20 stops. He is 39 years older than Bivol.
Beterbiev’s amateur record is not well known. Reported in 102-13 and 295-5. He lost in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Bivol’s amateur record is 268-15 and he has never competed in the Olympics but has won two Russian National Championships in 2012 and 2014.
Bivol turned pro, stopping eleven of his thirteen opponents. He then won nine straight by decision before stopping his last opponent, Malik Zinad, 22-0, in June.
In 2012 Bivol was “Fighter of the Year” defeating then-super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 57-1-2, in May and former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, 44-0, in November . Truly an achievement.
All of Bivol’s opponents had winning records. Beterbiev’s opponents had sixteen and four winless records. Bivol faced the best opponents.
This is a natural match for the puncher in Beterbiev and the boxer in Bivol as far as their records are concerned. Beterbiev was born in Russia and lives in Montreal, Canada. Bivol is Russian, although he was born in Kyrgyzstan and lives in Indio, California.
This writer is looking forward to this game and is leaning towards little Bivol for the decision. Beterbiev coming back from injury is a big factor.
I am surprised that Bivol’s piercing power is low. Being his opponents in the second half of his career is much better than Beterbiev would have anything to do with it. What do you readers and fans think?
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