By Declan Taylor
THE biggest light-heavyweight fight of our generation is here and it one which has near enough split boxing fans down the middle. Artur Beterbiev against Dmitrii Bivol, who clash in Riyadh on Saturday for all four 175lb belts, seems like a classic case of boxer vs puncher – but is it more than that? We take a look at where this showdown for the ages could be won and lost.
ARTUR BETERBIEV – KEYS TO VICTORY
POWER
No prizes for predicting that Beterbiev, a man with 20 wins and 20 knockouts, might just be able to win this one inside the distance but when all is said and done it might just be the fact that the unified WBC, WBO and IBF champion simply hit too hard for Bivol to handle. The worrying thing for WBA champion Bivol is that his opponent does not even have to land clean to knock you out, and he can do it with his left or right hand, to head or body. Facing him is just about the most dangerous task in boxing right now.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 09: Artur Beterbiev trains ahead of the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Light Heavyweight titles’ fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol during the media workout as part of the Riyadh Season – IV Crown Showdown at The Venue on October 09, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
PRESSURE
Yes it is the power in his hands which takes people out, but it is his feet which pile the pressure onto his opponents, draining their energy and teeing them up perfectly to be put to sleep. We all know how Bivol likes to box, on his toes, in-and-out, first-and-third, but will he be able to adopt that style with Beterbiev relentlessly walking him down? That is perhaps the most important question in this entire showdown and foot pressure could well be key to a Beterbiev victory.
CHIN
In the likes of Anthony Yarde, Callum Smith and Oleksandr Gvozdyk you can safely argue that Beterbiev has faced a higher calibre of light-heavyweight puncher in his time than Bivol has across his 23 fights. Yes, he was famously dropped by Callum Johnson in the second round of their 2018 encounter but he roared back to win two rounds later. Bivol has never been a huge puncher and if he can’t get Beterbiev’s respect by landing something early, the 39-year-old might back his chin and walk through everything coming his way.
DMITRII BIVOL – KEYS TO VICTORY
STYLE
If you had to pick one boxer on the planet with the style to truly nullify a puncher like Beterbiev, you would probably land on Bivol. Yes, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is not Beterbiev, is not as big, strong or powerful as him, but most people picked the Mexican ahead of their 2022 fight and Bivol simply stuck to his boxing, kept things long and stayed out of a firefight – and made a lot of people look very silly. It was more of the same against Gilberto Ramirez six months later, too. Who is to say he is not skilful enough to do the same thing here, keep things tight for 12 rounds and outbox an ageing Beterbiev? Stranger things have happened.
ENGINE
Beterbiev has never gone the distance because he punches too hard for anyone to make it – but the fact is, he has still never gone the distance. Enrico Koelling took him to the 12th before eventually succumbing with just 27 seconds left on the clock but that was seven years ago. Although he has seen the 10th twice in his eight fights since, this is not a man accustomed to the championship rounds. Bivol, meanwhile, has no problem doing all 12, and maybe he can take over once he makes it to the halfway stage and outwork a frustrated Beterbiev.
Dmitry Bivol catches Lyndon Arthur during their fight in Riyadh. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE
Bivol is no spring chicken at 33 but this is a man who seems to be in his prime and at the peak of his powers. Beterbiev, on the other hand, is 39 now and had to postpone his fight with Smith due to a dental problem while the initial date with Bivol was rescheduled due to a ruptured meniscus. Perhaps he is a man in decline with a body simply struggling to handle nearly an entire lifetime of fighting. Bivol has shown no such signs and appears to be getting better as he approaches his mid 30s. In such an evenly-matched fight, that could well be a factor.