This baby-faced Kirghiz-Russian assassin is turning heads - and busting them like grapes - and stealing the show every time out since turning pro in November. That's even with loads of big talents above him on the bill. While still not very well known in the West, those knowledgeable of the Central Asian boxing scene have been tracking Bivol since he was boxing in the amateurs in the Juniors division. His ascension into the Seniors and his pro turn were both highly anticipated by any that had seen the path of destruction he wrought in his wake. Over the better part of a decade in the amateurs, he beat a slew of top international competition including countryman Artem Chebotarev (gold medalist at the Euro championships & bronze @ the worlds), Callum "Mundo" Smith (currently 16-0 with twelve knockouts in the pros and called by Carl Froch the best UK super middleweight and surefire future champ), Ville Hukkanen (national champ in Finland, participated in the World Championships in 2013, advancing into the 2nd round before elimination by the might Adilbek Niyazimbetov), Brian Peacock (Scottish prospect, now 3-0 in the pros), Elshod Rasulov (Uzbek wunderkind, 2x gold medalist at the Asian games, bronze & silver medalist @ the world championships), Jake Ball (projected to be a major fixture of the UK squad next year in the Rio Olympics), Sergey Radchenko (Ukrainian prospect, currently 2-0 in the pros) Mikhail Dauhaliavets (represented Belarus at the Olympics in 2012 before landing a spot in WSB on the prestigious Azerbaijan Baku Fires squad) and Zoltan Harcsa in his backyard at the Bosckai Memorial Boxing Tournament in Hungary. Losses were few and far between, coming to Rey Recio of Mexico (who started 6-0 in the pros but is on a three loss skid after getting exposed by Epi Mendoza and then losing to him again in a rematch sandwiching another defeat), Artjom Fjodorov (Estonian prospect, 3x national champ and Baltic Cup gold medalist; currently 1-0 in the pros), and Artem Chebotarev (who also beat Dmitry Chudinov). In his late teens he captured gold at the World Cadets in two consecutive years. In the seniors he captured Gold in the 81kg class in many tourneys including the World Combat Games in 2013. He was flawless in WSB. Since joining the full-fledged professional ranks, he is off to a gangbusters start, hitting the ground running with three formidable journeymen in a row (of the sort most prospects aren't matched with until at least their dozenth or so bout) and obliterating them all. Despite there being several Russian-based light heavyweights garnering worldwide attention lately, Bivol has already positioned himself in the mix with them despite having the least experience of his peers by far. In his latest outing, he stopped Joey Vegas, who managed to go the distance with two of Bivol's well-regarded fellow Russian-based light heavies - Mekhontsev and Sukhotsky, as well as top Ukrainian cruiser Dmytro Kucher. He doesn't bring the same explosiveness of a Beterbiev or Kudryashov, but he is every bit as dangerous with a steadier and more workmanlike but still relentless approach. If anything, his more technical and methodical nature and especially his penchant for defending while coming forward gives him a higher ceiling than either of those more (at least in the pros) one-dimensional and sometimes defensively suspect bangers. Dmitry Bivol vs. Danabek Suzhanov (WSB): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFZkhQOwuNA Dmitry Bivol vs. Jorge Rodriguez Olivera (pro debut): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgwTENSUM7Q Dmitry Bivol vs. Konstantin Piternov (sop****re effort): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sew98k-dc8Y Dmitry Bivol vs. Joey Vegas (tertiary outing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbkT3MGB8l0
Bivol is a very impressive fella, the first thing that stands about him to me is his technical prowess moreso than his power unlike his countrymen, I mean whilst Kovalev and the like are good boxers, they all seem to posses certain flaws which could potentially be exploited, this guy on the other hand seems to be technically very sound.
Very impressed with his kid.. He's moving along quickly, he's faced tough, tough journeymen thus far. He made Vegas a notoriously tough journeymen look like a quitting *****. I'm sold. But LHW is becoming a shark tank these days, definitely legit a sure future top 10 but it remains to be seen if he can mix it with the elite. Wei'll see.
I actually think for a "knockout artist" Sergey is quite technically sound. He gets mistakenly characterized as just a brawler, I think for a confluence of reasons (namely, having been something of a redheaded stepchild and secondary afterthought on Russia's national team in the amateurs - indeed, he wasn't as good as some of his teammates under the amateur rule set, but having more of a pros-suited type of style is by no means synonymous with being technically deficient...in fact, the amateur style can lend itself to more deficiencies with its point-scoring emphasis leading to slapping tendencies; plus the perception of defensive liabilities dating back to Boone dropping him, even though Ward struggled just as much with Deezol and the fact that for a come-forward destroyer Kovalev actually does exhibit a lot of subtle, effective defensive habits; and him just being flat-out typecast due to his tremendous, literally fatal power and high rate of stoppage) That said, Bivol has a style that is every bit as pro-ready (while still having served him extremely well in the amateur ranks) and he seems to have the higher boxing IQ to go with power that, while not quite the same, is up in that stratosphere. :good
I thought Bivol was the real deal when I did my thread on him a few months ago, but he's proving to be better than I even thought he'd be when he turned pro. Here's some more vids for your thread IB. This content is protected Bivol Vs. Radchenko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78gmIrMmNm0 Bivol Vs. Abdourachidov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KuDyjoQMzo Bivol Vs. Ivanov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DUaAcj6E8A Bivol Vs. Chebotarev http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7xbwylvpp0 Bivol Vs. Kodzoev http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoK8fQabjXE Bivol Vs. Rasulova http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw7Xx8Xvf8g Bivol Vs. Myktybetov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcd0xYIQQ0
If his chin were a concern there would have been warning signs in the amateurs where he consistently faced the best. AFAIK none of his losses were by RSC - unlike many of his wins (a rare & special feat)
After three fights you feel confident enough to make this claim? Not saying yolu are off base but to mention him in terms wikth Kovalev at this stage seems a bit much. Anyone know if he prepares for his fights in Russia? Most of these guys seem to benefit even more by coming Stateside and working with Murican trainers. Only real downside in coming here is they have to eat all the poison GmO's that are slowly killing us.
Kovalev didn't face the level of competition Bivol has three bouts in, until his third year in the pros.
Kovalev fought Boone in his 15th month of being a pro. Of course you are totally correct about their first 3 fights.