Artur is suffering from being too good for his own good. If he had struggled more in his career he would be higher regarded. If you examine his fighter profile he is almost unparalleled. He is the modern day Carlos Monzon. His genetic profile is almost perfect for boxing. He has tremendous natural strength. He is able to bully his opponents in the ring. He has tremendous natural power. Nobody can take his power. He has tremendous natural cardiovascular capacity. Which allows him to maintain his strength and power late into fights while his opponent tires. Artur never tires, he has an endless supply of oxygen. When you add this to his amatuer pedigree you have a fighter who is H2H a total beast.
Never say that when someone is going to face the second most, or maybe even the most brutal puncher in their division. So congrats, you just jinx him.
I agree. I am a fan of Smith, but a bigger Beterbiev fan. Smith hits very hard. He may hit even harder than Beterbiev. He might even be the single biggest puncher in boxing p4p. But he does not have the strength, skill or cardiovascular capacity to have anything other than a punchers chance. Smith could certainly win the fight. He can beat anybody. He punches that hard. He has absurd power. If he hits Beterbiev flush on the chin hes going down to the canvas and he may not be able to recover. He punches that hard.
Ask yourself what does it say that Canelo decided to fight a guy with 1 belt, 31 years old and in his prime. Versus a 37 year old Unified champ? If Bivol is considered the easy fight that indicates there is a monster in the LHW division. Imagine Beterbiev at 31? Would annihilate every LHW of the last 20 years with the possible exception of Kovalev.
I really think Bivol will beat Beterbiev. I don't think the age would have changed anything, only it will be easier for Bivol.
Think you are overrating Beterbiev a bit here. It isn't his fault, but 175 has been very poor during his run. He also was down on two cards at the time of the Nail stoppage, so he *can* be outboxed. He's awesome, tho, don't get me wrong. One of the naturally strongest guys at his weightclass in boxing. Maybe the strongest.
Beterbiev is too much of a brute at 175 (imagine GGG fighting JMWs). You need power or slickness from the gods to keep him away for 12 rounds. He is better than Canelo at shrinking the ring. I fear Bivol will have a terrible time along the ropes.
To be outboxed you have to make it the full 12 rounds. In the 15 round era Beterbiev would shine even more.
He was down on the cards after 9, so that's pretty late in the fight to be trailing. I agree that his style is one of attrition, but he's certainly not "nearly unbeatable". That's fanboy talk.
Gvozdyk was receiving A-side cooking. The judges were paid off. He was viewed as the younger, more marketable fighter and Arum wanted the Gvozdyk push. If you examine the fight Gvozdyk wasn't landing. He was running around the ring hitting Beterbiev's forearms for the most part.
Speed is the most overrated attribute in boxing. It is completely unnecessary and is almost completely nullified by a well timed power shot to the noggin. You would have a point if this was the Lightweight or Welterweight division. Beterbiev fights in a puncher's division.