Beterbiev Is ‘Going To Stop Bivol’
Artur Beterbiev will stop Dmitry Bivol in their upcoming Undisputed Light Heavyweight Clash.
That is according to middleweight boxer Lonnie Thompson. Beterbiev has stopped all his opponents, as he remains undefeated with a 20-0 record. He arrives into the bout with a stoppage win over Callum Smith. He is the current WBC, IBF and WBO champ, with the WBA being the missing piece to undisputed. There are question marks over whether Beterbiev can close the distance.
Bivol is known for being a master boxer. He kept Canelo at bay, keeping him on the outside, before using his jab to set up combinations. Bivol also dominated Zurdo Ramirez, winning a dominant unanimous decision when the Mexican was undefeated. But Beterbiev’s ability to end a fight before the distance will see him win, per Lonnie.
Beterbiev Vs. Bivol
“I’m excited for the fight. It’s going to be on. You know who I’m going to be rocking with Beterbiev. I don’t think it’s going to go past seven or eight. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Somebody who is like Callum Smith, who is extremely big, who could really possibly fight at cruiserweight. Artur got him out of there in seven [last January].
“Bivol could really fight at super middleweight. In my opinion, he [Bivol] doesn’t move that well for more rounds than that, and Artur cuts off the ring extremely well, and just the beating on them on the shoulders and the hips, and I think Bivol is going to get stopped relatively fast,” Lonnie said
Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind the following. If the fight goes into the later rounds, the momentum will shift in Bivol’s favour. He has shown that he can dominate by outboxing his opponents. Beterbiev is also 39, meaning he may not have the gas tank to last the distance. Beterbiev has also been hit more in his fights of late, as Anthony Yarde had a lot of success.
Who Wins?
Bivol is much fresher at 33, while Beterbiev has suffered two injuries recently. He was injured before the Smith fight, and the same happened with Bivol as the fight was first set for June 1. Beterbiev has not boxed since the start of the year against Smith, whereas Bivol has been more active, beating Malik Zinad on June 1 as the Libyan stepped in for Beterbiev. Despite those factors, Lonnie felt inactivity would not be a problem.
“When you have that many amateur fights and you’re that good, layoffs mean nothing. Just look at what he’s doing. First, they said, ‘Beterbiev is getting old.’ He fights at 39 years old and crushes Callum Smith. Oh well, he’s getting better,’ but now it’s, ‘Maybe it’s the layoff now.’ The man is just good. Get over it. Listen he’s a freak of nature. His age don’t matter. He’s that good,” Thompson stated
The winner will become the best light heavyweight of their era, while the loser’s undefeated record will go. Based on the outcome of the fight, fans could also see a mega rematch, just as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are doing.
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
