Bivol who dominated the fight for 11 rounds, 2 mins and 58 seconds was the lucky one because the bell rang when It was supposed to ring. Haha
Imagine a fighter with the power, relentlessness and Dog of Smith mixed with Bivols skill set. Toss in their respective chins and damn what a fighter you’d have.
As for the thread I wouldn’t say he was lucky But I bet he sure was glad that was the end of the round. Very nice recovery
Bivol admitted after the fight that the bell saved him. He admits to being dizzy and slightly off for the next few rounds. He was very good at hiding it from Smith Jr. Good cheen and fighting smarts.
Bivol himself admitted this. Lets face it, he looked like he had no idea where he was. All it would have taken was another shot. Or maybe he would have just eaten those up as well. There is no way of really knowing. But that bell definitely saved him. However Bivol did get lucky that the referee stopped the action whenever Smith got on the inside. In modern boxing, fighting out of the clinch is a big no-no, it seems like. However Smith is most dangerous up close. Meanwhile Bivol doesn´t fight in the inside; he just holds on and waits for the referee to save him.
Watching it again, It wasn't even the 2.58 mark, the punch landed right after the bell rang. While It was a very hard punch and another one like that could've been over for Bivol, he still managed to avoid that shot for the 3 mins duration of the round. I don't see why he should be considered lucky for that.
What if... Bivol's corner was on the opposite corner and he had to cross the center of the ring to get there?
Um, just take a look at him. He was completely lost there for a second. He was lucky that such a punch didn´t land earlier, as it could have ended really badly for him. Smith is a vicious puncher, and if you can´t defend yourself, you will likely get put down.
