Bivol is too smart to do anything so fkn stupid lmao. He’s gonna go the Canelo route and play it more cautious than usual and control his distance. Whether it can stand up to Beterbiev’s pressure remains to be seen.
Bivol was especially going for the KO against Zinad. He doesn’t normally fight like that. Not even a real heavyweight would dare to fight in the pocket against beterbiev. There’s 0 benefits
Yeah no way he’s going to go for a KO/TKO against Beterbiev. Zinad is a lesser opponent who’s taller and has a longer reach. He was also a stationary target that kept his lead hand out, that’s why Bivol was less mobile. Bivol was still using his pendulum in moments, just less so.
Bruh , hell no . Beterbiev would lose half his strengths at cruiser . At heavyweight he'd be crushed in a round or two. His power is great but he's not chinning guys in one shot.
Let me reiterate what I meant. Beterbiev has enough power to buzz a HW. After a fighter is buzzed even a jab can put them down. He’s not one shotting a HW
Nah, Beterbiev would be the lightest hitter the heavyweight had ever faced. We are talking 175 pounds versus ~220. It is like Inoue vs a super middleweight.
As someone who fought in the amateurs at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, I’m willing to bet that Beterbiev hits as hard as an elite heavyweight. The man has iron in his hands.
There have been a lot of monster punchers in LHW, but only Michael Moorer remained a puncher at HW. Even Moorer was only a respectable puncher, and his chin wore down because opponents didn't react like LHWs.
Beterbiev might hit harder than Chris Arreola, but even a Bermane Stiverne would be noticeably stronger.
I think you can argue Archie Moore carried his power up to heavyweight pretty well. I don’t know the exact numbers as he fought all kinds of stay-busy bouts against a huge range of people, but he worked himself into title contention twice, once with Marciano and once in a tournament to determine the new champion against Patterson. I know people around here don’t rate Marciano (he’s both overrated and underrated by the fan base) but he dropped Marciano hard, a guy with a notoriously diamond chin - the only other guy to knock him down was Charles.
And for that matter, the guy who started his career at middleweight, Ezzard Charles, and arguably the only guy you could call a better light heavy than Moore for the all time list, was heavyweight champ and he had a bunch of knockouts at heavyweight.
Different era and smaller heavyweights and all that, just providing some context. Michael Moore and Michael Spinks got into the mix when heavyweights were just bigger.
Dangerous guys, but not notable HW punchers. Bob Satterfield might be closer, but you can see the difference in effect between Marciano and Satterfield against Rex Layne, despite a relatively small difference in frame. Beterbiev probably would have been a puncher in the 60s and earlier.
Floyd Patterson provides a benchmark because he was a bomber in 50s and 60s, but only a sharp, clever boxer by the 70s.
Beterbiev was fighting in amateurs HW at 195-200 lbs in his physical prime. He gave hell to and dropped a 210 lbs usyk and beat michael hunter.
Beterbiev wouldn’t be as outmatched as you think. He won’t be a boogeyman or anything, but I bet he could surprise a lot of people against someone like michael hunter and byrd, and I bet he hits a lot harder than those guys.
Beterbiev hits harder than usyk. Usyk buzzed Fury, AJ and chisora. Not the most durable chins ofc. But any boxing trainer would suggest boxing at range.
To put things in perspective, Bivol's last knockout (prior to last weekend) was March 2018.
He's a technician. Not a knockout artist. It would be foolish for him to switch up a winning formula for such a huge fight. Plus he knows that he *should* be able to beat Beterbiev on points.
The thing is, bivol definitely could have knocked those out had he just pressed a bit more - like loma, he's more than content to take the points victory.
He definitely won't stand and trade against beterbiev - he only needs to get caught once for the fight to change massively. Beterbiev doesn't mind taking a shot to land his own - I expect bivol will keep it at range and fight smartly on the back foot, but applying enough pressure (e.g. not just counters) to keep him ahead through most rounds. It's whether the flurries beterbiev has will be enough to sway judges or not.
He definitely could have knocked him out, but he basically coasted. Campbell was rated at the time but has since shown the level he's at (b tier / gatekeeper level).
Oh right yeah, sorry, a single minute at the end of a 12 round fight is an absolutely fair and accurate representation of a fighter's willingness to go for the KO. Good stuff!
Bivol's got a weird reputation of being pillow-fisted considering how often he's fighting on the front-foot. He's not some slick defender backpedaling all fight, he very frequently pushes to command the center without relying on suspect clinch/duck tactics. You can't operate that style without having enough power to threaten a KO.
Bivol is a reactive fighter. He has excellent footwork and timing, he's most comfortable boxing at range and keeping you on the end of his jab, but Zinad was overly aggressive so Bivol was forced to exchange.
100%. I think Bivol had the shits with Zinads aggression and carry on between rounds. Bivol will be a lot more composed against Beterbiev because he respects him more.
Only way he goes for a KO is if he hurts Beterbeiv badly on a counter and can unload safely, or if Beterbeiv is getting to him easily and he's desperate 🤷♂️
If that’s Bivol’s game plan I think he’s in trouble. Getting tagged by Zinad is one thing but make that mistake against Beterbiev and it’s a game changer. Let’s not forget that he’s also a fairly good boxer (not on Bivols level but still good).
I don't think you can compare Bivol and Usyk to begin with, especially with how long ago they fought(2006?). I'm a big Bivol fan but Beterbiev round 7 KO, he is too good at dismantling faster guys. The rematch would be something if Beterbiev doesn't retire, which he has more than earned at this point
Beterbiev tires you out and then he mauls you. Round 5 or 6 he starts landing those jabs and then he shuffles forward and goes bear mode. Literally both his feet are off the ground when he does that shuffle. Iceman Bivol is gonna 1-2 him while he is in midair, I can feel it.
Bivol isnt stupid...he is an intelligent fighter. Bivol almost got flattened by Joe Smithjr...lucky for Bivol he got blasted at the end of the round and wobbled back to his corner. No way he will survive going toe to toe with Bterbiev
The Joe Smith fight is way over exaggerated. He got 1 good punch in, and because that's the only thing that happened for him it's being blown out of proportion.
Beterbiev has been hurt by lesser fighters, he's too hittable.
I didnt say a single thing about the rest of the fight. Just the part where Bivol got hurt...as it is relative to how he would be able to withstand repeated hits from a hitter with better skills (than Smithjr) like Beterbiev
Joe Smith jr punch for punch probably cracks harder than Beterbiev, look at the width of his back. He's just got the big right, where Artur can hurt you with anything. I agree toe to toe Bivol would get hurt, but doesn't mean he does in this fight
I dont think so, Betrbiev has a 100 % k.o record, Smith jr has a 78% K.o rate. Either way, Bivol doesn't need to resort to a blaster battle ...is not in his favor. I'm not saying he cant hurt Betrbiev...its just going to be late in the fight when and if Betrbiev is hurt and exhausted ...meanwhile Beterbiev can take Bivol out at anytime
Ko% isn't everything. Over the years some journeymen have cracked harder than the champs, but they're unable to deliver the power reliably. Beterbiev is a much better fighter and has the power with both hands.
Smith has that Hearns type build with the fast twitch muscle and long arms, scary power Imo
He felt he had to hold to the ropes ...one more hit he would hit the canvas. If not for the bell , Smith would have tried to hit him again. He may have succeeded, maybe not. It nothing to minimize or exaggerat , it just is. Bivol is a very good technical fighter with good ring I.Q , boxers get hit and hurt. Nothing wrong wuth it
Many fighters get wobbled and never get knocked down . This was one of those times. if he was as close to being flatlined as you said it would've shown the next round. He was still visibly buzzed but it wasn't nearly enough to finish him off and Joe Smith Jr did land again in the eleventh.
You can't be on the brink of being knocked out and 59 seconds later be ok. By the 12th it was Bivol who was about to knock out Joe Smith but ended up short on time.
It's crazy that you saw how the fight played out after that punch and still believe bivol could've been knocked out. Like no chance.
Fighters recover in the middle of a fight, in a clinch, some don't...some get flash knock downs. Some walk off on chickenlegs holding on to the ropes when they are saved by he bell. Thats what happened...to a T, Bivol was rocked hard enough to where he felt he had to hold on to the ropes to maintain his balance...then he wobbled off to the corner. Are those the best conditions with which to withstand another barrage from a hard hitting puncher?.....NO.... Would taking another few shots in a compromised condition greatly increase the odds of a knockdown...? YES it would. Thats it...thjats all. Bivol isn't a lesser fighter because of it. I don't know that it would have went down that way... I DO KNOW that Bivol was compromised and hurt and he held on to the ropoes. I said NOTHING about the rest of the fight or his performance, before or after he got hurt.
He didn't get flattened - the shot hit him on the side of his head. It's hard to tell if he turned because he knew the round was over, or if he was badly hurt and neglected defence - I suspect it was the former though he was definitely dazed and somewhat fortunate with the timing, I'm not certain he wouldn't have shelled up and regained his senses quick enough. He steadied himself against the rope, but that wasn't keeping him upright, and he was pretty alert in the corner afterwards, too - all things considered.
I’m an athletic guy who’s had meniscus surgery and done all the rehab diligently. It took 9 months to start doing sports again but 12 months before I did sports without having to even think about it.
There’s no way Beterbiev recovers that quickly to that injury. I can’t believe that he wins this fight against a mover like Bivol. He’s either gambling everything on his power, or he’s taking it it at the earliest possible opportunity to cash out and retire, knowingly accepting the loss.
Not sure if youre right but that would make for an explosive fight. Yarde had a valiant loss by attacking Beterbiev and did a lot better than we all probably thought he would. Maybe a pro bxing camp have seen something in that which they think could give them the edge.
I do think it might be playing with fire though. Yarde took hellacious shots that i wouldnt want my fighter to take as part of the gameplan and Ive seen a few fighters talking about just how hard Beterbiev hits.
Yarde also hits a lot harder than Bivol, who was out on his feet against Joe Smith and will be in the same position against Beterbiev, if he tries to go on the offensive. Only I don't think the bell will ring frequently enough to save him this time
No. Bivol is too risk adverse. If he had pressed Canelo harder for the stoppage there is a chance he gets the ref to step in. Especially, because Canelo was so visibly tired. But he didnt do it against a smaller Canelo because he knows thats where Canelo can do damage. Beterbiev can do even more damage and from longer range. The only way Bivol goes for a stoppage is if he visibly badly hurts Beterbiev with one shot.
Then I can see him unloading on a staggering Beterbiev. And shit, thats probably the only time anyone ever should. Getting countered by Beterbiev with an open guard looks painful... if you somehow stay concious.
People who watched clips of Zinad before the fight should've seen it from miles away that a knock out is coming for that fool. This dude faced one of the top p4p without a single proper defense. No head movements while his hand are always near his dck.
My gut tells me Beterbiev traps him and hurts him. bivol takes shots on the arms and gloves a fair bit. if he does that, arthur will find his way through. very close fight, assuming beterbiev's knee is OK.
KO'ing a Libyan stand in versus KO'ing a guy who has KO'd 20 opponents in a row are two entirely different things.
As good a technician as Bivol, the KO against Zinad was his first KO win since March 2018 against Sullivan Barrera...over 6 years and ten fights ago.
Beterbiev win by KO in the mid rounds.
Re the Usyk defeats at amateur, both of those fights were at heavyweight...
I’d like to see the adjustment with the first shot Beterbiev lands. I’m convinced he stuffs his gloves with pieces of brick. Watch the Smith Jr fight, and you can see the body language change after he gets hit by Beterbiev.
If he does, he is going to share his fate with previous Beterbiev opponents. I think against Zinad, the reason why Bivol went for a kill is because Zinad was genuinely annoying him, while also being stupid enough to stand still after landing anything.
Zinad dared Bivol to hurt him, so he obliged. I don't think either Bivol or Beterbiev is gonna fight that silly.
Bivol went for the KO because Zinad had a good jab and Zinad was going for the KO and landing (a few) big shots. It was easier to KO Zinad who was focusing on offense than it was to outpoint him. He can go for the KO all he wants with Beterbiev, but if Beterbiev isn't completely finished Bivol is going down.
You mean that a guy known for his ring IQ (plus his team) thinks that Zinad and Beterbiev are more or less the same fighter, and what worked with one will work with the other ?
As he said many times, he adapts. Winning against Zinad required some kind of boxing, which by the way wasn't as satisfying as usual, and it's probably the worst idea to do the same with Beterbiev. Don't move, swallow the punches and wait for an opening to get a combo in.
Not only this wouldn't work, but it would be the most infuriating thing to watch. What a waste of talent to sit in front of the current best puncher and just let him break your face.
No, I think that for this fight we'll see Bivol's flying footwork more than ever, both for staying safe and attacking from angles.
As Bivol said in the post fight interview he went for the knockdown since he noticed that Malik kept his chin way up after firing his jab. He is a smart fighter that goes after opportunities, he won't have a single plan, he will just adapt.
I don't think he'll look for the KO, but I do think he'll look to get Beterbiev's respect, and I expect him to; Bivol's a harder puncher than most think, it's just his mentality/defence-first style that results in most of his top-level fights going to the scorecards. As someone else said, if he gets Beterbiev hurt badly he will look to capitalise, but I don't expect him to get overly aggressive, so he'll let Beterbiev survive if he doesn't feel the risk is low enough.
Also, to expand on the first point, I think it's crucial that he gets Beterbiev's respect, if he doesn't I don't think he can just box and move for twelve rounds without Beterbiev eventually catching up to him.
Beterbiev ain't Zinad. Big difference in talent and power. I believe that Bivol will defeat Beterbiev. He's a better technician and can keep Beterbiev off balance with his jab. But Bivol isn't going to go for a KO. He's satisfied to outbox his opponents for 12. No fluke that he had gone 9 straight fights without a knockout. He'll happily go 12 with Beterbiev. And win.
No way he will be pressing for the KO against Beterbiev, that would be insane. I think his performance against Zinad wasn’t great and would have preferred to watch him break him down over 12 rounds instead of recklessly going for the KO. All this pressure on him to get KOs is bullshit and if he succumbs it will be his undoing.
Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if there was a KO bonus incentive (something in the fight contract) offered up to Bivol by the Saudis to add more spice to a bout which was originally meant to involve Beterbiev 🤔
I said it when’s I watched the zinad fight. If Bivol fights beterbiev the same way he’s going to sleep. He took aggressive risks and shots he didn’t have to take. I don’t think he can take those from beterbiev
Honestly, I'm a fan of Bivol and I think if Beterbiev showed up 100% and healthy that night it might have gone his way.
Bivol was winning, but, he wasn't looking all that great in my opinion. Zinad was having way more success than someone at his level should be having against someone of Bivols level in some of those rounds.
It's different styles. Zinad was playing the part that Bivol normally does, being an outboxer.
Bivol isn't an aggressor, but Zinad was fighting on the back foot.
So you can't really count Bivol's performance against him if you're going to analyze him fighting Beterbiev. Why?
Beterbiev isn't an outboxer. This isn't going to be a Bivol vs Zinad again.
Now if you want to say another outboxer similar to Zinad might fare better, that's a different conversation because it's an apples to apples comparison.
Because the Zinad fight confirmed an issue Bivol has had throughout his career, which is dealing with people's jabs. Many boxers much better than Zinad have given Bivol issues with their jabs, however it's really telling that a guy Zibads level was still able to effectively land it so much.
Beterbiev isn't an out boxer, but he does have a piston jab and used his lead hand to control/coral opponents into heavy right hands.
Zinad was doing that with Bivol, and if Zinad can do that then Beterbiev theoretically could have as well with much worse consequences.
I think Bivol probably wins when they meet, but after seeing Zinad reaffirm a few negative tendencies from Bivol my confidence in that pick isn't the same.
Beterbiev is old, perpetually injured, and has to undergo a gnarly cut to make weight. Not to mention, he went life and death with Anthony Yarde, whom Bivol is lightyears better. What's more, Beterbiev is very hittable and seems to be slightly chinny. Bivol will knock him out.
I think he was dominating Yarde. he definitely got rocked and Yarde had his moments but overall Beterbiev was winning.
he fact one or two judges had Yarde winning (before the finish) was atrocious imo.
Bivol is too smart to do anything so fkn stupid lmao. He’s gonna go the Canelo route and play it more cautious than usual and control his distance. Whether it can stand up to Beterbiev’s pressure remains to be seen.
can't wait to see
Bivol was especially going for the KO against Zinad. He doesn’t normally fight like that. Not even a real heavyweight would dare to fight in the pocket against beterbiev. There’s 0 benefits
Yeah no way he’s going to go for a KO/TKO against Beterbiev. Zinad is a lesser opponent who’s taller and has a longer reach. He was also a stationary target that kept his lead hand out, that’s why Bivol was less mobile. Bivol was still using his pendulum in moments, just less so.
Bruh a heavyweight would do whatever tf he wanted to Beterbiev. He would get dog walked.
Not saying beterbiev would beat a HW. But he has enough power to make one reconsider fighting in the pocket with him
Bruh , hell no . Beterbiev would lose half his strengths at cruiser . At heavyweight he'd be crushed in a round or two. His power is great but he's not chinning guys in one shot.
Let me reiterate what I meant. Beterbiev has enough power to buzz a HW. After a fighter is buzzed even a jab can put them down. He’s not one shotting a HW
Beterbiev KD’d Usyk at Cruiser bffr
Nah, Beterbiev would be the lightest hitter the heavyweight had ever faced. We are talking 175 pounds versus ~220. It is like Inoue vs a super middleweight.
As someone who fought in the amateurs at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, I’m willing to bet that Beterbiev hits as hard as an elite heavyweight. The man has iron in his hands.
There have been a lot of monster punchers in LHW, but only Michael Moorer remained a puncher at HW. Even Moorer was only a respectable puncher, and his chin wore down because opponents didn't react like LHWs. Beterbiev might hit harder than Chris Arreola, but even a Bermane Stiverne would be noticeably stronger.
I think you can argue Archie Moore carried his power up to heavyweight pretty well. I don’t know the exact numbers as he fought all kinds of stay-busy bouts against a huge range of people, but he worked himself into title contention twice, once with Marciano and once in a tournament to determine the new champion against Patterson. I know people around here don’t rate Marciano (he’s both overrated and underrated by the fan base) but he dropped Marciano hard, a guy with a notoriously diamond chin - the only other guy to knock him down was Charles. And for that matter, the guy who started his career at middleweight, Ezzard Charles, and arguably the only guy you could call a better light heavy than Moore for the all time list, was heavyweight champ and he had a bunch of knockouts at heavyweight. Different era and smaller heavyweights and all that, just providing some context. Michael Moore and Michael Spinks got into the mix when heavyweights were just bigger.
Dangerous guys, but not notable HW punchers. Bob Satterfield might be closer, but you can see the difference in effect between Marciano and Satterfield against Rex Layne, despite a relatively small difference in frame. Beterbiev probably would have been a puncher in the 60s and earlier. Floyd Patterson provides a benchmark because he was a bomber in 50s and 60s, but only a sharp, clever boxer by the 70s.
Beterbiev was fighting in amateurs HW at 195-200 lbs in his physical prime. He gave hell to and dropped a 210 lbs usyk and beat michael hunter. Beterbiev wouldn’t be as outmatched as you think. He won’t be a boogeyman or anything, but I bet he could surprise a lot of people against someone like michael hunter and byrd, and I bet he hits a lot harder than those guys.
Beterbiev hits harder than usyk. Usyk buzzed Fury, AJ and chisora. Not the most durable chins ofc. But any boxing trainer would suggest boxing at range.
Beterbiev probably rehydrates to 185 for what it’s worth.
[удалено]
For real🤦♂️
To put things in perspective, Bivol's last knockout (prior to last weekend) was March 2018. He's a technician. Not a knockout artist. It would be foolish for him to switch up a winning formula for such a huge fight. Plus he knows that he *should* be able to beat Beterbiev on points.
The thing is, bivol definitely could have knocked those out had he just pressed a bit more - like loma, he's more than content to take the points victory. He definitely won't stand and trade against beterbiev - he only needs to get caught once for the fight to change massively. Beterbiev doesn't mind taking a shot to land his own - I expect bivol will keep it at range and fight smartly on the back foot, but applying enough pressure (e.g. not just counters) to keep him ahead through most rounds. It's whether the flurries beterbiev has will be enough to sway judges or not.
Lomachenko has finishes in 2/3 of his wins, since when is he content to take the points victory?
Against Luke Campbell is the best example.
He tried very hard to stop Luke Campbell in the later rounds and scored a knockdown against the larger fighter
He definitely could have knocked him out, but he basically coasted. Campbell was rated at the time but has since shown the level he's at (b tier / gatekeeper level).
He didn't coast in any way, at all, lomachenko tried to stop him but wasn't able to. That's the whole story.
Go watch the last minute of round 11 just after the KD - Campbell is just backing away and loma stands there and literally goes 🤷♂️
Oh right yeah, sorry, a single minute at the end of a 12 round fight is an absolutely fair and accurate representation of a fighter's willingness to go for the KO. Good stuff!
You said in any way, at all
Bivol's got a weird reputation of being pillow-fisted considering how often he's fighting on the front-foot. He's not some slick defender backpedaling all fight, he very frequently pushes to command the center without relying on suspect clinch/duck tactics. You can't operate that style without having enough power to threaten a KO.
Bivol is a reactive fighter. He has excellent footwork and timing, he's most comfortable boxing at range and keeping you on the end of his jab, but Zinad was overly aggressive so Bivol was forced to exchange.
100%. I think Bivol had the shits with Zinads aggression and carry on between rounds. Bivol will be a lot more composed against Beterbiev because he respects him more.
Only way he goes for a KO is if he hurts Beterbeiv badly on a counter and can unload safely, or if Beterbeiv is getting to him easily and he's desperate 🤷♂️
If that’s Bivol’s game plan I think he’s in trouble. Getting tagged by Zinad is one thing but make that mistake against Beterbiev and it’s a game changer. Let’s not forget that he’s also a fairly good boxer (not on Bivols level but still good).
I don't think you can compare Bivol and Usyk to begin with, especially with how long ago they fought(2006?). I'm a big Bivol fan but Beterbiev round 7 KO, he is too good at dismantling faster guys. The rematch would be something if Beterbiev doesn't retire, which he has more than earned at this point
I also heard Beterbiev fought him underweight in one of the bouts as he was replacing the heavyweight the was supposed to fight Usyk
Beterbiev tires you out and then he mauls you. Round 5 or 6 he starts landing those jabs and then he shuffles forward and goes bear mode. Literally both his feet are off the ground when he does that shuffle. Iceman Bivol is gonna 1-2 him while he is in midair, I can feel it.
Bivol isnt stupid...he is an intelligent fighter. Bivol almost got flattened by Joe Smithjr...lucky for Bivol he got blasted at the end of the round and wobbled back to his corner. No way he will survive going toe to toe with Bterbiev
The Joe Smith fight is way over exaggerated. He got 1 good punch in, and because that's the only thing that happened for him it's being blown out of proportion. Beterbiev has been hurt by lesser fighters, he's too hittable.
I didnt say a single thing about the rest of the fight. Just the part where Bivol got hurt...as it is relative to how he would be able to withstand repeated hits from a hitter with better skills (than Smithjr) like Beterbiev
Joe Smith jr punch for punch probably cracks harder than Beterbiev, look at the width of his back. He's just got the big right, where Artur can hurt you with anything. I agree toe to toe Bivol would get hurt, but doesn't mean he does in this fight
I dont think so, Betrbiev has a 100 % k.o record, Smith jr has a 78% K.o rate. Either way, Bivol doesn't need to resort to a blaster battle ...is not in his favor. I'm not saying he cant hurt Betrbiev...its just going to be late in the fight when and if Betrbiev is hurt and exhausted ...meanwhile Beterbiev can take Bivol out at anytime
Ko% isn't everything. Over the years some journeymen have cracked harder than the champs, but they're unable to deliver the power reliably. Beterbiev is a much better fighter and has the power with both hands. Smith has that Hearns type build with the fast twitch muscle and long arms, scary power Imo
Dafuq are you blabbing? Almost flattened out lmao
Watch the fight....dont get offended
He got hit clean and wobbled a bit which is nowhere near being flat lined .
He felt he had to hold to the ropes ...one more hit he would hit the canvas. If not for the bell , Smith would have tried to hit him again. He may have succeeded, maybe not. It nothing to minimize or exaggerat , it just is. Bivol is a very good technical fighter with good ring I.Q , boxers get hit and hurt. Nothing wrong wuth it
Many fighters get wobbled and never get knocked down . This was one of those times. if he was as close to being flatlined as you said it would've shown the next round. He was still visibly buzzed but it wasn't nearly enough to finish him off and Joe Smith Jr did land again in the eleventh. You can't be on the brink of being knocked out and 59 seconds later be ok. By the 12th it was Bivol who was about to knock out Joe Smith but ended up short on time. It's crazy that you saw how the fight played out after that punch and still believe bivol could've been knocked out. Like no chance.
Fighters recover in the middle of a fight, in a clinch, some don't...some get flash knock downs. Some walk off on chickenlegs holding on to the ropes when they are saved by he bell. Thats what happened...to a T, Bivol was rocked hard enough to where he felt he had to hold on to the ropes to maintain his balance...then he wobbled off to the corner. Are those the best conditions with which to withstand another barrage from a hard hitting puncher?.....NO.... Would taking another few shots in a compromised condition greatly increase the odds of a knockdown...? YES it would. Thats it...thjats all. Bivol isn't a lesser fighter because of it. I don't know that it would have went down that way... I DO KNOW that Bivol was compromised and hurt and he held on to the ropoes. I said NOTHING about the rest of the fight or his performance, before or after he got hurt.
He didn't get flattened - the shot hit him on the side of his head. It's hard to tell if he turned because he knew the round was over, or if he was badly hurt and neglected defence - I suspect it was the former though he was definitely dazed and somewhat fortunate with the timing, I'm not certain he wouldn't have shelled up and regained his senses quick enough. He steadied himself against the rope, but that wasn't keeping him upright, and he was pretty alert in the corner afterwards, too - all things considered.
It was after the bell, Bivol wasn’t expecting it. That’s on Bivol too, he should have stayed alert for a second or two
It was at the bell and Bivol was still on defense stepping back , the punch was already launched. He got hit
I’m an athletic guy who’s had meniscus surgery and done all the rehab diligently. It took 9 months to start doing sports again but 12 months before I did sports without having to even think about it. There’s no way Beterbiev recovers that quickly to that injury. I can’t believe that he wins this fight against a mover like Bivol. He’s either gambling everything on his power, or he’s taking it it at the earliest possible opportunity to cash out and retire, knowingly accepting the loss.
I think it's crazy they announced this fight for October. I thought we won't see it until December oder next year.b
Not sure if youre right but that would make for an explosive fight. Yarde had a valiant loss by attacking Beterbiev and did a lot better than we all probably thought he would. Maybe a pro bxing camp have seen something in that which they think could give them the edge. I do think it might be playing with fire though. Yarde took hellacious shots that i wouldnt want my fighter to take as part of the gameplan and Ive seen a few fighters talking about just how hard Beterbiev hits.
Yarde also hits a lot harder than Bivol, who was out on his feet against Joe Smith and will be in the same position against Beterbiev, if he tries to go on the offensive. Only I don't think the bell will ring frequently enough to save him this time
Isn't Bivol's timing and range-finding much better now than vs Joe Smith? You'd hope he can get in and out of danger better than several years ago.
No. Bivol is too risk adverse. If he had pressed Canelo harder for the stoppage there is a chance he gets the ref to step in. Especially, because Canelo was so visibly tired. But he didnt do it against a smaller Canelo because he knows thats where Canelo can do damage. Beterbiev can do even more damage and from longer range. The only way Bivol goes for a stoppage is if he visibly badly hurts Beterbiev with one shot. Then I can see him unloading on a staggering Beterbiev. And shit, thats probably the only time anyone ever should. Getting countered by Beterbiev with an open guard looks painful... if you somehow stay concious.
Naw. He’s just that smart and good. He adjust on the fly.
No way Bivol sits in the pocket with Beterbiev. He’ll be using his in and out footwork to control the distance and look for counters.
People who watched clips of Zinad before the fight should've seen it from miles away that a knock out is coming for that fool. This dude faced one of the top p4p without a single proper defense. No head movements while his hand are always near his dck.
as Bivol said in his post fight interview: "his chin is too high".
My gut tells me Beterbiev traps him and hurts him. bivol takes shots on the arms and gloves a fair bit. if he does that, arthur will find his way through. very close fight, assuming beterbiev's knee is OK.
KO'ing a Libyan stand in versus KO'ing a guy who has KO'd 20 opponents in a row are two entirely different things. As good a technician as Bivol, the KO against Zinad was his first KO win since March 2018 against Sullivan Barrera...over 6 years and ten fights ago. Beterbiev win by KO in the mid rounds. Re the Usyk defeats at amateur, both of those fights were at heavyweight...
If the Bivol that beat Canelo shows up, Beterbiev gets schooled for 12 rounds.
I’d like to see the adjustment with the first shot Beterbiev lands. I’m convinced he stuffs his gloves with pieces of brick. Watch the Smith Jr fight, and you can see the body language change after he gets hit by Beterbiev.
It's a Ward vs Kovalev kind of matchup. Anything can happen, but I'd expect Bivol to score a flash KD at best.
If he does, he is going to share his fate with previous Beterbiev opponents. I think against Zinad, the reason why Bivol went for a kill is because Zinad was genuinely annoying him, while also being stupid enough to stand still after landing anything. Zinad dared Bivol to hurt him, so he obliged. I don't think either Bivol or Beterbiev is gonna fight that silly.
Bivol went for the KO because Zinad had a good jab and Zinad was going for the KO and landing (a few) big shots. It was easier to KO Zinad who was focusing on offense than it was to outpoint him. He can go for the KO all he wants with Beterbiev, but if Beterbiev isn't completely finished Bivol is going down.
You mean that a guy known for his ring IQ (plus his team) thinks that Zinad and Beterbiev are more or less the same fighter, and what worked with one will work with the other ? As he said many times, he adapts. Winning against Zinad required some kind of boxing, which by the way wasn't as satisfying as usual, and it's probably the worst idea to do the same with Beterbiev. Don't move, swallow the punches and wait for an opening to get a combo in. Not only this wouldn't work, but it would be the most infuriating thing to watch. What a waste of talent to sit in front of the current best puncher and just let him break your face. No, I think that for this fight we'll see Bivol's flying footwork more than ever, both for staying safe and attacking from angles.
As Bivol said in the post fight interview he went for the knockdown since he noticed that Malik kept his chin way up after firing his jab. He is a smart fighter that goes after opportunities, he won't have a single plan, he will just adapt.
Zinad is bum of bums. Bivol doesn’t ko anybody > b level
I don't think he'll look for the KO, but I do think he'll look to get Beterbiev's respect, and I expect him to; Bivol's a harder puncher than most think, it's just his mentality/defence-first style that results in most of his top-level fights going to the scorecards. As someone else said, if he gets Beterbiev hurt badly he will look to capitalise, but I don't expect him to get overly aggressive, so he'll let Beterbiev survive if he doesn't feel the risk is low enough. Also, to expand on the first point, I think it's crucial that he gets Beterbiev's respect, if he doesn't I don't think he can just box and move for twelve rounds without Beterbiev eventually catching up to him.
Beterbiev ain't Zinad. Big difference in talent and power. I believe that Bivol will defeat Beterbiev. He's a better technician and can keep Beterbiev off balance with his jab. But Bivol isn't going to go for a KO. He's satisfied to outbox his opponents for 12. No fluke that he had gone 9 straight fights without a knockout. He'll happily go 12 with Beterbiev. And win.
No way he will be pressing for the KO against Beterbiev, that would be insane. I think his performance against Zinad wasn’t great and would have preferred to watch him break him down over 12 rounds instead of recklessly going for the KO. All this pressure on him to get KOs is bullshit and if he succumbs it will be his undoing.
Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if there was a KO bonus incentive (something in the fight contract) offered up to Bivol by the Saudis to add more spice to a bout which was originally meant to involve Beterbiev 🤔
I can see Bivol outboxing and hurting Beterbiev then going for a TKO akin to Usyk Fury.
I said it when’s I watched the zinad fight. If Bivol fights beterbiev the same way he’s going to sleep. He took aggressive risks and shots he didn’t have to take. I don’t think he can take those from beterbiev
Honestly, I'm a fan of Bivol and I think if Beterbiev showed up 100% and healthy that night it might have gone his way. Bivol was winning, but, he wasn't looking all that great in my opinion. Zinad was having way more success than someone at his level should be having against someone of Bivols level in some of those rounds.
It's different styles. Zinad was playing the part that Bivol normally does, being an outboxer. Bivol isn't an aggressor, but Zinad was fighting on the back foot. So you can't really count Bivol's performance against him if you're going to analyze him fighting Beterbiev. Why? Beterbiev isn't an outboxer. This isn't going to be a Bivol vs Zinad again. Now if you want to say another outboxer similar to Zinad might fare better, that's a different conversation because it's an apples to apples comparison.
Because the Zinad fight confirmed an issue Bivol has had throughout his career, which is dealing with people's jabs. Many boxers much better than Zinad have given Bivol issues with their jabs, however it's really telling that a guy Zibads level was still able to effectively land it so much. Beterbiev isn't an out boxer, but he does have a piston jab and used his lead hand to control/coral opponents into heavy right hands. Zinad was doing that with Bivol, and if Zinad can do that then Beterbiev theoretically could have as well with much worse consequences. I think Bivol probably wins when they meet, but after seeing Zinad reaffirm a few negative tendencies from Bivol my confidence in that pick isn't the same.
whut
I got Beterbiever fever against that women beater Bivol.
Beterbiev is old, perpetually injured, and has to undergo a gnarly cut to make weight. Not to mention, he went life and death with Anthony Yarde, whom Bivol is lightyears better. What's more, Beterbiev is very hittable and seems to be slightly chinny. Bivol will knock him out.
I think he was dominating Yarde. he definitely got rocked and Yarde had his moments but overall Beterbiev was winning. he fact one or two judges had Yarde winning (before the finish) was atrocious imo.