The host Teddy Atlas believes that Dmitry Bivol will gain more from his fight against Artur Beterbiev than the other and will be better in the rematch in 2025.
Atlas claims that Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs), after showing that he can outplay boogeyman Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) in one piece in a tight fight, will be at his advantage in the rematch.
In addition, Atlas claims that Beterbiev turned 40 on January 21, his punishment in his match against Bivol will affect him for the second contest.
Bivol was punished more than Beterbiev and injured in the championship rounds. It was not a physical fight in any way because of the movement Bivol used for the 12 rounds, especially in the late quarter of the contest. He admitted after the fight that he had copied Sugar Ray Leonard’s fighting style for his match against Marvin Hagler on April 6, 1987. Leonard was moving around, throwing weak uppercuts, and taking big shots from Hagler in his controversial victory.
Bivol was furious, trying to escape Beterbiev’s pressure and giving up the championship rounds without a fight. The 33-year-old Bivol had no interest in fighting Beterbiev from rounds 9 to 12. That’s when Bivol lost the fight.
“He (Beterbiev) is turning 40. I would say the guy who is closer to 40 would be more affected by that kind of fight in a rematch than the guy (Bivol) who is seven years younger,” said Teddy Atlas on his . channelMaking an argument that Artur Beterbiev took the punishment in his fight on Saturday night that will affect him in his rematch with Dmitry Bivol.
What Atlas says here does not fit this fight because it was not a war. Bivol landed mostly defensive jabs to keep him away and only opened up once in the fight, in the seventh round, when he briefly slipped on Beterbiev. Interestingly, that round was the turning point of the fight, as Beterbiev went on the attack, hurting Bivol and dominating the rest of the contest.
The sixth round was Bivol’s only moment of courage, and it ended up being his downfall because Beterbiev hurt him and he gave up trying to fight from that moment on.
Rounds 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 all belonged to Beterbiev as he stalked a very scared Bivol and nailed him with punches. Bivol was in survival mode.
“Bivol will be less accepted physically, while Beterbiev could be more affected in a rematch. Who benefits more from a physical and emotional experience? I think it benefits more Bivol. Bivol will be better for that experience in the rematch,” said Atlas.
