Who Beats Beterbiev, Bivol Last?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 12 Oct 2024
Both triple crown holder Artur Beterbiev and WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol - protagonists in tomorrow's first ever undisputed world light heavyweight championship in the four belt era - are undefeated as pros.
Hence, most boxing experts and pundits are divided almost at the middle as to who holds the advantage over whom, making the bout a 50-50 fight with Beterbiev possibly winning with his power and relentless pressure and Bivol with his astute boxing skills and movement as well as speed.
Perhaps it's a good idea if we go back to their respective later amateur fighting days - and who beat them last - to give us an inkling as who between Beterbiev and Bivol has the possible decided edge in their forthcoming clash.
Beterbiev last fought as amateur in the 2012 London Olympics, losing to eventual gold medal winner Oleksander Usyk of Ukraine in the quarterfinals in the heavyweight (90kg) class, 17-13. In 2011, he also lost to Usyk by the same score in the semi finals of the World Championship in the same weight class which is equivalent to the cruiserweight in the pros.
Beterbiev who was born in Kasavyurt, Russia and now residing in Montreal, Canada ended his amateur career with a record of 85 wins and 10 losses. The only other boxer to beat him twice in the amateurs was fellow Russian Mikhail Gala back in the mid 2000s.
Bivol last fought as amateur in 2014 winning the Russian national championship in the light heavyweight (81kg) division. The year before he won the gold in the World Combat Championship in the same weight class in November 2013. Unlike Beterbiev, he had not fought in any Olympics boxing tournament finishing his amateur stint with 85 wins and 7 losses.
The Kyrgyzstan-born Bivol last lost in July 2023 to fellow Russian Oleksander Vozdyk by walkover or default in the finals of the Summer Universiade Games.
For some reason, Bivol also failed to appear within the regulation time limit in losing two other amateur bouts by walkover by default including to Georgia's Iago Kaziria in the World Series of Boxing.
From the foregoing, it could be deduced that it took an Oleksander Usyk to beat Beterbiev who was also used to fighting bigger opponents at divisions as high as cruiserweight. Beterbiev also fought and beat opponents who would later be successful in the pros including then future world champions Sergei Kovalev, Vozdyk (whom he also stopped in the pros) and Yuniel Dorticos.
Meanwhile, it could be said that Bivol had not really been beaten inside the ring particularly in his later years in the amateurs as a light heavyweight.
But then looking at their respective amateur resume, I can not help but give the edge to Beterbiev who although now long on tooth has proven the adage that in a puncher, the last to go is his punching power.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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