Artur Beterbiev was not happy to hear from Dmitry Bivol's promoter Eddie Hearn, commenting that he did not agree with the decision of their previous fight on October 12. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO) seemed upset, saying Hearn always has something he doesn't “agree with.”
Hearn had a heart attack after unified light heavyweight champion Beterbiev knocked out his fighter, WBA champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KO), scuppering his plans for a lucrative rematch with Canelo Alvarez. How many chances will Bivol have if he loses again and is given another fight against Beterbiev?
He didn't want to fight when things got tough last time and ran when things got hot for him. While some fans believe Bivol should have won the first fight with Beterbiev, they clearly formed their opinions after the first five rounds because his white submission flag was up from the sixth round onward. He had no fight and turned and ran from the sixth onwards. Hearn helped muddy the waters by complaining nonstop about the decision, but Bivol clearly lost.
I know there would have been a lot of money on the line if Bivol had won because there could have been a fight against Canelo. If Bivol had won, do you honestly think Beterbiev would have been given a rematch right away?
There is no way on earth. It would have been Canelo vs. Bivol 2. As for Beterbiev, he would have to fight his way back to the title by fighting the winner of the David Benavidez vs. David Murrell fight, as he is not as well connected as he is. Bevol.
Will Beterbiev spoil things?
Hearn was hoping Bivol could capture Beterbiev's three titles and use the undisputed 175-pound championship as a fish lure to convince Canelo to make a move to face him. Beterbiev ruined everything by relentlessly attacking the timid boxer, Bivol, chasing him around the ring in the final six rounds to win a 12-round majority decision by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 114-114.
I agreed with the score 8-4 in Beterbiev's favor, but it was funny, if unexpected, for Hearn to throw a fit afterwards, complaining that Bivol deserved to win. He didn't do that. The only way you can give Bivol the win is if the referees stop scoring the bout after six rounds. If this had been a six-rounder, Bivol would have won easily.
Hearn's fighter, Bivol, will get another chance against Beterbiev in their rematch on February 22 in Riyadh. If Bivol can't win this fight, getting a trilogy would be a waste. If Bivol wins, he will get the titles that will appeal to Canelo. If that fight doesn't happen, there's always the trilogy with Beterbiev that Bivol can count on.
If he loses on points, Hearn will probably scream bloody murder and complain that Bivol deserves to win again.
It will be interesting to see if Turki Al-Sheikh sympathizes with Hearn's complaints and gives Bivol another undeserved third fight instead of giving the winner of David Beterbiev vs. David Morrell a shot at Artur. American fans want to see some new blood there with Beterbiev instead of seeing animosity, Bivol is getting consistent opportunities.
“Yes, he did well. We can say the toughest fight,” said Artur Beterbiev. BoxNation When asked if Dmitry Bivol had the toughest fight of his career so far. “Eddie Hearn doesn't always agree with something,” Beterbiev said, in response to being told that Bivol's promoter, Eddie Hearn, did not agree with the decision from their previous fight on October 12. “It's always something.
“I'm honored to be the main event of this card. Great fight, they do. It was a good experience. Surprisingly, they did a good job of boxing,” Beterbiev said of the Saudis.
It was a good fight; “It was good for boxing fans,” Bivol said. BoxNation About his previous fight against Beterbiev. “It wasn't the best fight I've had, and it was a good lesson for me. I learned a lot from this fight, and I have to improve myself. I love fighting in Riyadh because they make beautiful events, great events. Every fighter wants this, and I'm looking forward to coming back.”
“Of course every camp is different, and we made some changes as well, which I will talk about after the fight. I'm glad I got this opportunity,” Bivol said.
Revenge on the mind… 💭
🎥 @bivol_d | #betterbievbeful2 | #Riyadh Season | February 22, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/hPwhSjeEJd
– DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 17, 2025
