By: Sean Crose
The lengthy awaited battle lastly went down again in October in Saudi Arabia. Dmitry Bivol and Arthur Beterbiev battled for mild heavyweight supremacy in an intensely shut 12 spherical affair. When all was mentioned and accomplished it was Beterbiev who stepped out of the ring the undisputed champion of your complete division. Not everybody was completely happy, although. Folks reminiscent of former world titlist Chris Algieri indicated that Bivol’s protection was aesthetically unappealing to the judges, regardless that he ought to have received the battle. Others, after all, felt in a different way than Algieri. A rematch was clearly so as.
And now that rematch is about to go down, for it was introduced on Monday that Bivol -Beterbiev 2 will transpire February twenty second in Saudi Arabia. Though the primary match wasn’t a barn burner, it was a excessive stage, excessive stakes chess match. The rematch has the possibility to play out a lot the identical method, maybe with a special ending. It is going to doubtless all rely on two issues: Can Bivol maintain Beterbiev from touchdown in any respect or can Beterbiev land on Bivol sufficient to dictate the tempo of the battle? These two are so evenly matched it’s laborious to inform how the battle could play out.
What makes this rematch fascinating, apart from the truth that the primary battle was so shut, is the caliber of boxing that shall be on show in Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev is a tough hitting, successfully aggressive, grasp of ring dominance. Bivol, on the opposite gloved hand, is a defensive maestro who is much stronger than some may assume. Simply ask Canelo Alvarez, who Bivol bested some years again. The second battle between these males, very similar to the primary, will function model towards model, technique versus technique, and – in the end – efficiency versus efficiency. Once more, it’s laborious to inform how the battle will play out.
Whereas the sunshine heavyweights would be the function on February twenty second, your complete card is kind of loaded. Daniel Dubois will face Joseph Parker in a heavyweight showdown. Vergil Ortiz, who had been anticipated to face Jaron “Boots” Ennis will doubtless sq. off towards Israil Madrimov. Shakur Stevenson will sq. off towards Floyd Schofield. And that’s not your complete lineup. No doubt, followers have responded positively to the cardboard. Very positively. While you win over the web, you’re doing one thing proper… particularly should you’re a significant battle promotion. Saudi Arabia has doubtless upped the battle recreation.
