What Bivol did to Beterbiev does not sit right with me

There was no room to fit one apparently.

 

Yeah but that “win” came because of corrupt/incompetent judging.

 

an interesting view imo. seems like if one wanted to have a gripe about Bivol, this would be about as legit as you're likely to find from him. there have been more dastardly deeds done in this sport, i guess.

on the other hand, i would have liked to see them fight more times for sure. they might have been like jmm and pac or something. it's been awhile but i remember them being good fights at a high skill level.

 

From what I recall, it was Bob Arum who said himself that he didn't really care to stage the unification due to having low interest in putting on a fight between two Russians. And Bob Arum was Beterbiev's promoter, not Bivol's. It took Turki creating a financial incentive for the fight to happen.

 

Arum was a promotor, he can't stop fighters fighting if they want you. It's like saying Sampson would not allow Benavidez to fight someone. Rubbish excuse.

 

I like Bivol more but this made me shed a tear for Beterbiev

 

Well considering he's the guy who OWNS the promotional company that Beterbiev was signed to and fought under, yeah he kind of can stop a fight from happening lol...

Particularly a fight that would have to be a cross promotional fight like Beterbiev Bivol would've been. If he decided he didn't want Top Rank to work with Matchroom and wasn't willing to negotiate terms, then there's little Beterbiev could do to override that. Either buy himself out of his contract, wait it out, or try and pressure Arum and Top Rank into trying to making the fight.

 

hes a wife beater aswell

 

Bivol ran for 24 rounds against an aging Beterbiev. It is clear what would happen had they fought in their primes- Artoor destroys him badly.

 

He didn't "run". He incrementally and calculatedly backed up while using his jab and effectively counter punching. He made Beterbiev pay a price back for every bit of effective pressure that he imposed.

 

And that's why Beterbiev dropped Top Rank when his contract expired last June - Arum didn't care.

 

You make it sound as though Bivol had a 12-0 clean sweep in both fights and the fight was Mayweather v Gatti in there.

There were times Bivol was in serious danger in both fights and in the 12th rounds he was the one backed up, on the retreat, hurt and bloodied.

 

Yes, they both were extremely competitive fights. And there were spurts where Bivol retreated more than others. But the idea that Bivol was running is just ridiculous. In fact, I was amazed at how much Bivol was actually holding his ground in the first fight, and he did it even better in the second fight. He was backing up with very measured steps, but he was making Beterbiev fight for that ring control rather than just instantly conceding it.

I picked Beterbiev to stop him in the first fight because I thought that Bivol would be incapable of implementing an effective stick and move strategy against him. I think if Bivol had tried to do that, Beterbiev would have eventually exhausted and battered him until the ref pulled him off. I never imagined Bivol would have to balls and the wherewithal to implement a slow, disciplined counter-punching retreat gameplan and avoid getting clobbered in the process. But he did. Twice.

 

Guys,
Bivol had documented back surgery after the 2nd beterbiev fight.

Beterbiev meanwhile had his own surgeries (2nd knee surgery?)

bivol looked great today finally. They’ll fight again or Benavidez is next.