Artur Beterbiev Y Dmitry Bivol They faced for the second time this Saturday, for the semi -marked titles of the World Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Association, the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Council. The event was held in the Kingdom Arena de Riad, in Saudi Arabia.
On this occasion, unlike the first clash in which the winner was Beterbiev, who ended up imposing himself was Bivol, who took revenge and recovered his champion belts, in addition to those who belonged to his rival. They were twelve rounds of struggle without barracks, with moments of great technical and tactical deployment, between two contenders who know each other a lot and sought to exploit the few weaknesses of their opponent.
Bivol smiled and raised his arms when he heard the “new world champion” that announced his card victory, which were 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113.
The fight was a revenge of his fight on October 12, also in Saudi Arabia, when they unified all semi -sheds. Both arrived undefeated, but it was Beterbiev who took the majority decision victory. The cards threw a draw of 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113, which meant that Bivol lost not only his undefeated, but also the semi-stable title of the World Boxing Association.
That night, the Russian-Canadianwhich already owned the titles of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the International Boxing Federation (FIB) and the World Boxing Council (CMB), was crowned undisputed champion. On the other hand, however, he also saw the end of his impressive rack of victories per Ko.
Beterbiev reached this February fight with an almost perfect professional record of 21 fights, with 20 victories for knockout. At 40 years of age, his goal was to reaffirm his domain in the 175 pounds and, once again, defeat his challenger No. 1.
Beterbiev, who was born in Khasavyurt, in the Republic of Daguestán (one of the 22 that integrates the Russian Federation), and has been based for more than a decade in Canada, had won its 20 professional lawsuits before reaching the maximum agreed distance , something that no other world champion can boast. Among those who capitulated before him there are five world champions or ex -champions: the British Joe and Callum Smith, the American Tavoris Cloud, the Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk and the Spanish Gabriel Campillo.
Bivol, born in Tokmak (Kyrguistan) but based since the age of 11 with his family in St. Petersburg and is now based in Indian (California), had an impressive history of 24 fights (23 victories, 12 per ko), and was looking for redeem and recover the throne.
After an amateur career in which he won 268 of his 283 fights, Bivol debuted as a professional in November 2014 and just a year and a half later achieved the medium -sized interim title of the AMB defeating Dominican Félix Valera in Moscow. In October 2017 he was promoted to regular champion and even defeat with Beterbiev had made 12 successful heart defenses. The most important, without a doubt, was against Saúl Álvarez in May 2022 in Las Vegas. No one else managed to beat the Mexican redhead in the last decade.
This Saturday’s fight put in front of two opposite styles: the technique and fluid style of bivol will be measured with the imposing physical superiority of Beterbiev, a boxer who seems not to affect any blow, regardless of how hard the rounds are.