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

Asking a lot to move up 25 pounds at retirement age is it not?

 

He has no choice really, if Bivol is going to stiff him out of the belts.

 

This is one of the more snaky things I've seen an athlete do to another athlete.

 

He can fight Benavidez, if Benavidez doesn't duck him as well.

 

Bivol doesn’t want that Canadian thunder. I’d love if fought Jo Benny though!

 

Benavidez is going to duck

Bivol is going to duck Benavidez too

Should make Beterbiev v Benavidez easier to make though which I expect Beterbiev to win tbh

Then Bivol faces a choice - drop the belts and carry on coasting or face Beterbiev in Russia and get punished by Umar Kremlev and his team for stalling and wasting time

 

Honestly one wonders why Bivol doesn't want to face Beterbiev for the third time, faced with a very significant financial offer. This is a fighter five years older than him and who he defeated very clearly last year. The only answer I can come up with is that the two fights with Beterbiev were very tough for Bivol, so tough that he prefers not to face him again, even though there's a great financial offer to do so.

As a boxing fan, I'm disappointed that the following matches are looming: Bivol - Smith, Benavidez - Mikaelian, and Opetaia - CBS, when instead a Bivol - Benavidez or a Benavidez - Opetaia would be much more interesting (and maybe a Bivol - Beterbiev 3, remember, Beterbiev dismantled Callum Smith).

 

To be honest, I don't believe Bivol really had a surgery after Beterbiev rematch. He probably made it up to avoid the trilogy fight. The photos from hospital room were probably staged as well.

 

And announced his "surgery" literally as Beterbiev announced his comeback fight against Nicolson.

The biggest obstacle and snake in all of this is Vadim Kornilov.

 

That's another thing that's so frustrating about this. This is a very winnable fight for Bivol. He would be almost universally regarded as the favorite going into it. Some people think he won both fights. I disagree. I thought Beterbiev rightfully took the first one, but it's not like it's a crazy opinion in a very close fight with some near even rounds in there.

What is he so afraid of? He has the right formula and skillset to beat him. The adjustments he made in the second fight, such as standing his ground just a little bit more, made a huge difference in the outcome. He should be able to do it again. It's clear that Bivol is skillful and talented fighter, but his confidence just doesn't match his abilities. That's very disappointing to see from a fighter at his level but far from unprecedented. I get that Beterbiev is still very dangerous and they were both hard fights, but this is what he signed up for by becoming a champion level-boxer.

 

I completely agree, I feel like I wrote it myself. In the first match I had two points for Bivol, but with several rounds difficult to decide, I think Beterbiev, who made a great comeback in the second half of the match, could have won. In the rematch Bivol's victory was clear, and I also thought he would have wanted a third fight, as he was the favorite for precisely the reasons you mentioned.

 

Bivol owes us a top match up then !

 

He is not scared of Beterbiev he fought him twice. He is just being a ***** and not fighting him since he has the belts and there is no need. On the other hand he refuses to step into the ring with Benavidez even once..