What’s next for Bivol? Apparently no fight with Benavidez. I was hoping for that fight to happen. So a third fight with Beterbiev? Or a Canelo rematch? Fight a mandatory? Opetaia?
Wait so now Turki is being the problem hes supposedly trying to fix and will prevent Bivol vs David from happening lol. So predictable. Anyways... Bivol vs DB is the obvious fight to make. Not sure who else is that exciting a matchup if not him.
Bivol vs Benavidez is the obvious fight to make. A trilogy shouldn't be three fights back-to-back. That's just not healthy and it takes away the stakes and some of the drama imo. Bivol against Benavidez or Smith would be fun fights to see as would Beterbiev vs Benavidez or Eifert (to get rid of the IBF mandatory squandering the undisputed).
Trilogy fight against Hormones could be a bit like Fury v Wilder, where he won the first two but had to fight again and almost got KO'd. You keep going in there against KO artists and eventually they can get you. Bivol would be smart to walk away from that. But all these 'alpha males' submit to the playboy arab now.
Apparently Bivol is full of injuries and wants a long rest. He's had 4 fights in 15 months going back to the Lyndon Arthur in December 2023. That's 4 training camps, plus he got his bell rung numerous times against Beterbiev so he is entitled to a break - it's well deserved. However, Turki is the type of guy that can fall out with you if you don't agree with him or dance to his tune. He's a mini dictator but he pays well so everyone dances to his tune. If Bivol genuinely wants to rest and take a long rest, wouldn't it make more sense to make Benavidez vs Beterbiev before the trilogy fight?
I still think we will have Bivol - Beterbiev 3 towards the end of 2025 (or at most in the first months of 2026, it doesn't change much). Turki Alalshikh wants the third match and also the 2 fighters, since there are good purses for both. Benavidez has been WBC interim champion since last June and deserves to fight for the world title. If, as I think, Bivol's next match will be against Beterbiev, the WBC can behave seriously and vacate his world title, which will go to the winner of the match between Benavidez and another boxer well positioned in the WBC rankings (Albert Ramirez?) Personally if Bivol - Beterbiev will be with 3 world belts at stake instead of 4 it doesn't change anything (same thing happened for Fury - Usyk 2)
This. If I were Bivol’s management I wouldn’t go near Beterbiev again. Despite Beterbiev’s advanced age I think Beterbiev would find a way to get the knockout in a third fight. This remind me of Ray Arcel being against Ezzard Charles fighting Walcott a third time, since he thought Walcott would go for broke to knock Charles out, which unfortunately happened, but Jake Mintz overruled him saying Walcott was a has been.
I agree suppose there was a contract? But also the longer a trilogy takes the more it becomes an unfair fight. Beterbiev is already showing his age and won’t get better with time. Personally I’ll say it ends 1-1 and they both move on for beterbiev retirement
No trilogy, just NO! Benevidez is the only fight to make at 175. In the mean time let Beterbiev EARN a rematch instead of one being gifted to him.