Lyndon Arthur picks Artur Beterbiev to defeat Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night if he hasn’t aged since his last fight. He says he expects Beterbiev to get to Bivol at some point in the fight.
(Credit: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions)
Lightweight contender Lyndon defeated WBA champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) on December 23 last year in Riyadh and lost a wide 12-round unanimous decision. He also sparred with Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) in the past, and could tell the difference in power between them.
Lyndon says Bivol didn’t hit as hard as he thought he would going into their contest. He lost the fight to Bivol by the scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 120-107. In the seventh round, Lyndon hurt Bivol with a left to the body, causing him to retreat. For the rest of the fight, Bivol seemed to fight less aggressively after that round.
Lyndon, 33, says he thinks it would hurt if Beterbiev hit him with 10-ounce gloves because with each hand he hits hard.
“When I was there with Bivol, I thought, ‘He’s not hitting as hard as I thought,'” Lyndon Arthur told Pro Boxing fans about his fight against Dmitry Bivol last year on December 23. “I was able to defend a lot more punches than I thought.
“I’ve been with them both. I was sparring Beterbiev. It’s not the same as a fight, but the punches that he throws to be able to take them with 10-ounce gloves at the pace that he brings them and the resilience that comes in the ring, it will be difficult for Bivol to keep it off.
“He definitely hits hard with 10-ounce gloves with both hands, and it would hurt to get hit with 10-ounce gloves,” Lyndon said of Beterbiev.
Too bad Lyndon never fought Beterbiev, because it would have given him more room to compare him to Bivol. He can only go sparring with Beterbiev while wearing bigger gloves and headgear.
“Bivol, it’s his combination of punches, his takedown, and the way he puts himself in distance. Before you know it, he’s there. Beterbiev, it’s his relentlessness and his ability to move forward. He’s very good at boxing. Why do you spoil everyone, everyone thinks that he is an advanced fighter, but he was in the Russian team for a long time in the amateurs.
Bivol jabs and quickly moves forward to throw two punches and then retreats. Bivol almost always throws two punches and then backs off. It is predictableAnd that could be one of the reasons why Lyndon was able to pick up Bivol’s tendencies during his fight. It was always the same: jab, move forward, use the left-right combo, and retreat. There is no variation, ever.
“He’s had a long amateur career. He’s seen a lot of styles. He’s very good at boxing. Yes,” Lyndon said when asked if Beterbiev would beat Bivol. “But Bivol could throw his head for 12 rounds. That could happen.”
When people watch Beterbiev, they see him attacking with power shots and blasting his opponents with non-stop pressure. It doesn’t look like boxing. He’s throwing power shots, and he’s trying to hit them. But he’s boxed, boxed, and lands his punches like a seasoned boxer.
Casual fans don’t see it, but they don’t know the sport well enough to see his skills. Even the hardcore fans who are too lazy to watch all of Beterbiev’s fights to form an opinion are not able to see what he is doing.
“As long as Beterbiev left something in the tank and it hasn’t aged overnight. If it doesn’t show age, I believe Beterbiev has,” said Lyndon.
The only question mark fans have about Beterbiev is whether his surgically repaired right knee is 100% ready for the fight. He had surgery last May to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, and it’s not long for him to rehabilitate it.
