Bivol Wants The Winner Of Beterbiev Vs. Smith
Dmitry Bivol is desperate to face the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith for undisputed.
The WBA light heavyweight champion successfully defended his title for the 11th time with a one-sided unanimous decision win over Lyndon Arthur. The victory was all the more important given that Bivol had not fought in over a year. The boxer’s last fight was a win over Zurdo Ramirez in December 2022.
The failure to find an opponent and a hand injury kept him out of action for longer than expected. A rematch with Canelo Alvarez failed as both men disagreed over the weight class. Bivol wanted it at 168 for the Mexican’s undisputed title, while Alvarez wanted it at 175 to avenge his loss on the same terms.
The WBC’s decision to ban Russian fighters from fighting for its belts because of the war in Ukraine also got in the way of an undisputed fight. Now, obstacles are likely to be overcome with the rise of Saudi Arabia in boxing. The Kingdom has shown it is capable of putting up the biggest fights. Their ‘Day of Reckoning’ card showed that and the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Uysk undisputed fight, which will take place on February 17, 2024. Bivol aims to do the same by taking all the belts.
Bivol On Undisputed
“To have all the belts? It’s just that the mission is done. If I get all the belts. I’ve achieved what I wanted. When I’m talking about it, I feel the fire inside of me. I feel happy and sad because when you’re playing some game and you’re done. You’ve won this game. I see that I’m close. We will see,” Bivol said
Beterbiev and Smith pose different challenges. Beterbiev is a knockout artist, having stopped all of his 19 opponents. But there is a danger that father time is catching up with him since he is 38. As for Smith, Bivol already has experience of what it takes to beat him.
They met all the way back in 2012 as Bivol won the Mohammed Ali Trophy. The win is unlikely to be relevant now as both boxers have improved since then. But it does show that Bivol has a mental edge over Smith as he expected to face him at some point.
Bivol On Smith
“When I beat him in 2012, and it was just another opponent from England, and then I saw him many years [later], and he won the Muhammad Ali trophy. When he moved to my weight class, I thought, ‘Yeah, one day I could meet with him again in the ring,’ but it’s just a new page. Nothing from the past will help me or him,” Bivol stated
Outside of those names, David Benavidez has been mentioned. The Mexican Monster has indicated his desire to move up to 175 pounds. A fight with Jai Opetaia was also mentioned after the Australian indicated his wish to face the WBA light heavyweight champion. So, there are plenty of options on the table.
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