Boxing Pros Pick Between Beterbiev And Bivol
Artur Beterbiev faces Dmitry Bivol on October 12 for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship, as boxing pros gave their predictions.
The two undefeated fighters put their belts on the line, as they have contrasting styles. Beterbiev defends his IBF, WBC and WBO belts with a 100 percent knockout rate as he is 20-0. He stopped Callum Smith in his last fight. However, there are question marks over his age and injury record. The 39-year-old has never been the distance and was injured before the Smith fight and Bivol bout, as both dates were rescheduled.
Bivol is the WBA champion who stopped Malik Zinad in his last fight in June. He is a technical boxer known for having good distance and counterpunching. Bivol showed this in his win over Canelo Alvarez. He will need those skills to keep Beterbiev on the outside. Here were the predictions from some boxing professionals.
Predictions
“They’re both great fighters but Beterbiev will hurt him and probably end this fight with a knockout. I think Beterbiev’s power will overwhelm Bivol’s in-and-out footwork and his skillset. I think Beterbiev is just way too strong,” Zhilei Zhang
“Great fight. Beterbiev beats Bivol. Bivol is a great fighter, world class fighter, but styles make fight. Beterbiev’s style is too tight, too compact, too consistent, and amazingly strong. “He’s not an idiot, he’s a clever fighter, but so is Bivol. But Bivol is a little more open out of the two, and that is a minor detail. I’d go for Beterbiev,” Johnny Nelson
“I guess, Bivol. He has good legs, good movement. I watched the fight with Canelo Alvarez. Good boxing, defending, counter-punch and combos,’ Oleksandr Uysk
Further Predictions
“He’s slowing down. He’s cutting up easier. [And] he’s 38 years old with 300 amateur fights. A lot of tough fights in the pros. He’s ageing, nobody beats Father Time. I never will rule out Beterbiev, he’s got power, he’s got character and pride. But, yeah, I got Bivol a solid favourite. I think there’s a good chance he stops him late in the fight, either by cuts or by just an endless barrage of punches – Beterbiev is not a defensive wizard – where the referee would probably have to stop it or his corner would have to stop it,” Teddy Atlas
“Artur Beterbiev has unbelievable strength and power. I don’t know how Bivol is going to be able to fight somebody like that. I don’t see Bivol being able to survive something like that, but it will be very interesting. Bivol could land too many punches on Beterbiev, mess around, and start piling on points. “That’s going to be a very exciting fight. It’s going to be worth looking at. I can’t wait to see that one,” Blair Cobbs
“Bivol is one of those guys who is hard to beat because he keeps you on the outside. Like if you’re fencing, he’s really good at it. You have to, and I don’t know if Beterbiev is the one, he’s got to rush him, that’s the only way he can beat him, rush him and hurt him bad. “But Beterbiev doesn’t fight like that either. I pick Bivol to become undisputed,” Robert Garcia
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