The Beterbiev duck is fully transparent. I actually admire how they arent coming up with a million half assed excuses why they duck the top fighters when they were actually in their prime. Guys like Canelo and Mayweather made a good living off of grifting and conning the fans and coming up with a million excuses why they couldnt fight the top level guys until they were ready. Although if we are being honest, it was probably Ray Leonard who was the 1st star in modern boxing to really put effort into scheming like that. These guys are owning it. They dont even try to find excuses. They have no problem facing the fact that they are waiting for Beterbiev to turn 40.
You do realize that Bivol wants nothing more than to fight Beterbiev. You do know that since Bivol is considered a Russian fighter he's not allowed to compete for Beterbiev's title. You do know that Beterbiev is currently injured after a visit to the dentist and had his fight with Callum Smith postponed. As inactive as Bivol is, it's ridiculous to blame him for the Beterbiev fight not happening given all the other things outside his control that are preventing the fight from happening.
You know what's flat - your story that Bivol is ducking Artur. How can you be ducking someone when the fighter you're supposedly ducking is out with an injury?
@Serge you're needed in here. Please talk some sense to mr tinman. Artur has been sidelined after a visit to the dentist but Bivol who isn't even allowed to compete for titles due to his citizenship who has expressed a consistent desire to make the fight is supposedly ducking him.
I don't think either of them are ducking each other. I think it's the promoters who are throwing roadblocks in the way or making things difficult. There was a window for the fight to be made late 2022/early 2023 but OG Bob ruled it out and insisted on making Beterbiev vs the completely undeserving Yarde in the later's backyard instead. June 2022 'Promoter Bob Arum says WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol isn’t a big enough attraction for him to match against the winner of tonight’s 175-lb unification fight between champion Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. Instead, Arum has already decided to match the winner against Anthony Yarde. This British fighter is arguably even less well known to American boxing fans than Bivol.' June 2023 'Boxing fans can apparently forget about seeing an undisputed light heavyweight title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev anytime soon—or so long as Russia’s onslaught against Ukraine persists. Bob Arum, the founder of Top Rank Inc., which promotes IBF, WBO, WBC 175-pound champion Beterbiev, said in a recent interview that he would not attempt to make a fight involving his charge and WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol. Arum cited the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as his primary reason. “Yes, the WBC has made its views known,” Arum said on the 3 Knockdown Rule. “I am very sympathetic to the WBC’s views. I 100% support Ukraine and its fight against aggression. So I am not going to push a Bivol-Beterbiev fight.' I can't even begin to imagine Beterbiev ducking anyone and Bivol has called for the fight many times too. Had OG Bob not shut the fight down when Bivol's co-promoter E-Hearn said they were ready to make it and that there was nothing in the way preventing it from happening at that time I believe Bivol would've accepted. The thing which irks me most of all about that fight is how little fanfare it will receive compared to Crawford vs Spence and how much they will earn respectively compared to how much those two did. It's a better fight than that was, especially back then. Spence wouldn't have a hope in hell against same size versions of either of them and Crawford vs a same size Bivol would be an intriguing match up and at the very least be by far the most difficult fight of Crawford's career and his best ever opponent. I think Crawford vs a same size Beterbiev would be a real bad match up for Crawford. Beterbiev's problem is obviously age. He turns 39 in January and he spent most of his prime years in the amateurs. Chances are pretty high and getting higher by the day that he's going to lose in his next few fights given his age. The fact that Haney walked away with the same purse against a washed inactive Linares as Beterbiev and Gvozdyk did combined for facing each other in a unification match up is sickening.
Hearn already admitted that Bivol wants Beterbiev, but it was also clear that Eddie wanted to milk him in lesser fights for a while first.
I think the fact that last year's fighter of the year is unlikely to fight at all this year tells you all you need to know about the current state of boxing and poor promotion/management.
Algieri was working the corner of Sullivan Barrera when the later fought Bivol and he said that he knew within the first 30 seconds that they were going to lose to that Eurasian King This content is protected
The Peoples Champ Beterbiev has been waiting for this fight for so long i always see his side pushing for it more than Bivol's in fact even before the Canelo fight Bivol wasn't making much noise & not even looking that great at times, I hope Artur will not be denied any further & at least TR will hopefully keep him active till then, i think he should just move on with his Career & forget about waiting for Bivol to finally get in the ring with him.
Bivol needs to file an exemption. The WBC have told him. As soon as it happens, some promoter will bid on it. I can't see it being Bob Arum as the ESPN+ push won't be great and they are traditionally very poor at marketing their fighters too.
