Roy Jones Jr. feels Dmitry Bivol needs to be aggressive and look for the knockout to defeat undisputed lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their rematch on February 22 in Riyadh.
Boxing great Roy Jr. says Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) fought well in the early rounds of the first fight with Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) on Oct. 12, but then “let” him drop. the second half, resulting in his loss.
Buffalo Must Attack
Jones Jr. states that Bivol must go on the attack and look for a knockout to be victorious. Bivol’s negative, spoiling defensive style, which involves constant movement and clinching, and sporadic holding punches, did not work last time to get the decision against Beterbiev.
In the rematch, Bivol must show bravery and attack Beterbiev as he did in his fight against fringe rival Malik Zinad on June 1. Bivol was the aggressor in that fight and scored a sixth-round knockout, his first stoppage in six years since the Sullivan Barrera contest on March 3, 2018.
Bivol would need to change his mind of hit-and-not-get-hit to shoot for a knockout against four-time 175-lb belt champion Beterbiev. He does not like to be hit, and would need a complete DNA restructuring to go on the attack against the artist KO Beterbiev.
Bivol’s body language during the second half of his fight with Beterbiev last October was that of a frightened, trapped, and in awe. panic mode. Whatever fight Bivol originally had in him was gone by the seventh round. He looked like a frightened animal fleeing a predator trying to eat him. For Bivol to attack as advised by Jones Jr. it doesn’t sound realistic for his shy nature.
Retaliation tactics
“I thought Bivol went early, but Beterbiev came back good late. They both wrestled differently than they’ve wrestled,” Roy Jones Jr. said. to secondsoutTalking about the first contest Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol on October 12th.
“We expected Artur to try to knock him out. So, when he didn’t try to knock him out, he showed us that he still has boxing skills. This time, I hope Beterbiev boxes smart but I hope he looks for the KO.
“I know that Bivol probably understands that he wants to win this time; he will go for the KO. Attack more, be forward, and when he takes the lead, keep his head,” said Roy Jr. on what Bivol needs to do to win the rematch with Beterbiev on February 22. “He had the lead, but he let Artur recognize him.”
The advice that Roy gives to Bivol would work if he had a different head on his shoulders. If he transplants the courage of the contender Willy Hutchinson in the head of Bivol, he could follow the advice of Jones Jr. to attack Beterbiev on February 22.
Bivol will fight like he did in the first contest with Artur hitting, running and holding. That’s all he can do because Bivol lacks the necessary bravery.
