Ramirez is slow and clunky as an oak trunk. Bivol, on the other hand, is fast, agile and flexible. He moves like he has springs in his legs. Bivol gives Zurdo the beating of his life and wins by brutal KO in round 9, without losing a single round.
You know of all active boxers, Bivol's opponents have the lowest power punch connect stats at just over four per round?
Bivol might actually stop Zurdo. Depends on if he plays it safe or goes for the gusto. He's a rather cautious and disciplined fighter. He doesn't really push for the stoppage or attempt to assert absolute dominance over the opponent. He gave Canelo and Smith Jr. a schooling, but backed off from really pushing for an absolute hiding. I keep going back and forth on whether to take the bookies +400 offer for a Bivol stoppage here. In the end I have decided not to because I think it's not in Bivol's nature to go for the jugular, even against an outclassed opponent. He's content to coast with a points victory. He's not a killer. On the other hand, I've considered that this may be because he's never been pushed back hard enough to bring out the full arsenal in terms of savagery and grit.
For me Bivol raises his game according to the opponent. He's looked one-dimensional and one-paced in the past but was magical in dealing with the elite skills of Canelo. Ironically, the chances of Zurdo being stopped are probably increased in proportion to the challenge he presents. I think it's gonna be a 2nd gear UD. You're right about him holding something back vs Canelo and JSJ. I guess Bivol is from the disciplined school of thought: If a game plan is working why change it? I do wonder what would have happened if JSJ had put him on his backside as he so nearly did? Would Bivol have felt the need to respond in kind?
Bivol's defensive stats are impressive. And while we have to accept methodology is somewhat subjective and the +/- error range is probably quite wide, it's certainly not a system designed to be biased in favour of a particular fighter. So they are still reasonably indicative. 1. Opponent total punches landed per round - Bivol 5.6, ranked 2nd 2. Opponent power punch landed per round - Bivol 4.1, ranked 1st 3. Opponent total connect percentage - Bivol 12.7%, ranked 1st 4. Opponent power punch connect percentage - Bivol 22.3% ranked 2nd He's hard to hit and hard to hit clean. Currently there's only one man who could stop him, I suspect. And it's not Zurdo...
I'd pick an age 30-35 Beterbiev to stop Bivol. He turns 38 in a few months. At this point I'd say it's 60/40 in favor of the younger man. If the fight doesn't get made until Beterbiev is 40 then I will put the house on a Bivol points victory and laugh all the way to bank and cry on the inside as Beterbiev loses.
Beterbiev is a borderline cruiser weight whose also a decorated amateur. Bivol is 168lber. It’s a size mismatch. Bivol would have to have a significant skill advantage to overcome the size..and Beterbiev is v skilled himself
All the skill in the world can't help you if you can no longer pull the trigger. Hopkins Taylor is proof of that.