IBA: Bivol Rejects Beterbiev rubber match even though double money!

Well if Bivol is not fighting Beterbiev no more excuses for avoiding Benavidez !

 

Hopefully everyone can see Bivol for the coward he is and always has been.

He wants the easiest road possible and want to coast his title defences so he will face people like Zinad, Smith, Polaki and Bumski for small money and live off his reputation

He would have avoided Beterbiev in 24 and 25 had Turki not intervened and offered crazy money

Hopefully Beterbiev just forgets about Bivol and eithers moves up to CW or goes on a tear at 175lbs again

 

I believe that ship has sailed. Shame too.

Beterbiev is five months away from being forty-two, hasn't fought in eighteen months and has had numerous injuries throughout his career.

 

Bivol is lame compared to Beterbeef.

Beterbiev is a significantly better fighter overall.

 

Good, he doesn't deserve another win over an aged out Beterbiev. Now it will always be 1-1 this will always loom over him and people will rightly criticize Bivol for his political tactics. Big fan of his style but this is getting ridiculous

 

When it's all said and done, Beterbiev will have the better legacy at 175lbs

He was the one who went 20-0 with 20 KOs and unified all the belts while Bivol didn't even face a single mandatory in SEVEN years and took one easy challenge after another at 175lbs until he lucked into a Canelo fight because Canelo's cherrypick went wrong.

 

I'm not writing him off. Bivol is courageous enough to reliably take on way bigger opponents. He offered to canelo to fight him at super middle for all his belts, so he really isn't a big light heavy.

Don't know how he is with his injuries, but I am looking forward to hopefully see him in good and meaningful fights. He is one of the most capable fighters boxing has to offer

 

I’m getting bored of Bivol. It kinda is time for a young gun to show up and beat his ass into retirement. Though near future doesn’t look great for the LHW division.

 

Very disappointing by Bivol. Beterbiev gave him a rematch. He should return the favor, especially if he's being very well compensated for it. Avoiding a rubber match against his biggest rival will be a huge stain on his legacy.

 

Bivol lost the first, and in the second was getting beaten up and looking like he was en route to getting stopped when he pulled off the biggest “no! not today!” moment of his life and came roaring back to dominate the fight, only to get beat up again in the final round.

he got a win and ain’t getting near Beterbiev again.

As an American, hopefully this makes him more likely to fight Benavidez and we can get those Cold War vibes going again one last time for fun. Benavidez is going to have to drop the Mexican act for this one, I need him to ring walk dressed as Uncle Sam to Living in America (reclaim that **** from Apollo’s loss) with a goddamn bald eagle on his shoulder.

 

Several of us have been trying to explain this to the resident Bivol cheerleaders for years. Hopefully they choose to accept reality now.

 

This is disappointing to hear as a fan of his

 

Lost respect for him for this.

Will never be a legend.

 

Anyone who faces off against Beterbiev for 24 rounds isn't ducking a 41 year old version of him, it makes no sense. Bivol won both fights as well I think, close, but he won both, he was robbed in the first one. Should he just fight Beterbiev over and over again?

I think Matchroom is pulling the strings here. Turki wants the 3rd fight between Bivol and Beterbiev, but because he is willing to take the Fury & Joshua fight out of the UK, Hearn is using other cards he can pull, such as this one. That's what I think is happening. Bivol's team are lining up a much bigger fight with Benavidez down the line.

Also, Beterbiev is 41 and hasn't fought for 18 months, Bivol schools him now. If they fought, and that happens, he would be criticized by people who already don't like him, accusing him of picking easy fights against 41 year olds instead of fighting Benavidez. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.