Dmitry Bivol sees Artur Beterbiev as human and can be beaten like the other fighters he defeated during his career.
Whether Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) wants to admit it or not, Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) is different from other fighters he’s fought in the past. This will be a very different fight than the best guys that Bivol has fought during his ten year career.
If he dismisses Beterbiev for being like everyone else, he could be in trouble on October 12 when they meet for the undisputed lightweight championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. WBA champion Bivol and IBF, WBC and WBO champion Beterbiev will all fight for the belts, with the winner being the King of the 175 lb division.
The Bivol, promoted by Eddie Hearn, was given a strong push to win this fight, but it may not happen. If Bivol, 33, loses, he will still be young enough to come back from it and eventually capture another belt once Beterbiev retires or moves up in weight.
Since Bivol is a finesse fighter who has shown vulnerability against the big champions, it is not a given that he will be able to take over the division once Beterbiev retires or moves on. There are a handful of punchers who could step into the slot to take Beterbiev’s place after he relinquishes his titles.
“Because I’ve been boxing since I remember myself. I have to be the best version of me, and I can do it,” said Bivol to Pro Boxing fans when asked why he believes he can defeat Artur Beterbiev. “I’ve beaten a lot of people before, and he’s also a human being. We’re all human beings. I can do it.”
Bivol seemed irritable when talking about why he believes he will defeat Beterbiev, and there could be some insecurity on his part. If Bivol has doubts about his ability to win, that explains his irritability.
He seemed upset talking about it, but that won’t change anything. Bivol will need to find a way to not get hurt by Beterbiev, as he was in his fight against Lyndon Arthur last December and in his matches against Craig Richards and Joe Smith Jr.
“We’ll see in the ring what I have to do, but I believe I can (win). It doesn’t matter what he said. Right now, I’m busy,” said Bivol when he said that Canelo Alvarez said he wanted to fight next if he beats Beterbiev. “We had time before more than a year to make a rematch, but now, I’m busy. If he really wants to, he needs to talk to Eddie Hearn.
“He’s a good fighter. He has a good future in the heavyweight division. Yeah, why not?” said Bivol when asked about his interest in fighting David Benavidez.
There is a good chance that Bivol will meet Benavidez sooner or later if he holds the titles. Benavidez is the interim and mandatory WBC. He will become Bivol’s responsibility if he is victorious against Beterbiev.
“The best fight in boxing. Beterbiev is a beast. Dmitry Bivol is a masterpiece. He won against Canelo Alvarez so convincingly,” Eddie Hearn told BoxNation. “This is a pure 50-50 fight, one that I believe Dmitry can win, but it will be a very hard night’s work against an absolute monster.”
Hearn is promoting Bivol, which would explain why he believes he will win this fight. However, he can lose, and that would be bad for Hearn because a second popular Matchroom fighter bit the dust recently. Anthony Joshua lost on Saturday night, and Hearn took the defeat pretty hard.
“For me, the two best lightweights in the world fighting for the undisputed championship. It doesn’t get any bigger.”
Beterbiev and Bivol might not be the two best fighters in the 175 lb division. Neither has fought Joshua Buatsi, David Benavidez, David Morrell and Wily Hutchinson.
