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ARTUR Beterbiev is now the undisputed light-heavyweight king after beating Dmitry Bivol by majority decision. Beterbiev, 39, picked up the IBF, WBO, WBC and WBA world titles after an enthralling 12 rounds in Riyadh.
Manuel Oliver Palomo had it tied up at 114-114, overruled by Glenn Feldman, 115-113, and Pawel Kardyni, 116-112, who combined to award Beterbiev the victory.
“I feel not bad, I did not good today, I didn’t like this fight but I’ll be better one day,” smiled Beterbiev, who has a unique way of cutting through the nonsense both in and out of the ring.
“Of course, it’s a tough fight. He’s a world champion too, he has good skills, maybe better than me. During the fight we always try to change something but maybe I wasn’t to punch him, maybe that’s why I [didn’t] deliver more punches.”
Naturally disappointed with the end result, Dmitry Bivol said, “I have to do everything perfectly. Congratulations to Artur and his team; he deserves it, no problem. I did my job, but I always felt that I could [do better]. He won, what could I say?”
It was a fascinating battle of styles, with Beterbiev’s aggressive, heavy-handed work opposing Bivol’s distance dominance and ability to jab, move, and occasionally trade.
Early fencing of the jabs ended in round one as they exchanged a one-two that appeared to buzz both briefly. Round two saw Bivol’s jab back out to play as he found a reliable rhythm.
Bivol’s ring generalship and footwork were exemplary, as Beterbiev’s patience ran out in round three. Replying to everything, Bivol refused to be dominated as they opened up midway through the third.
“He’s got that bit between his teeth, he’s got that nastiness,” Darren Barker said of Bivol as round four kicked off. Beterbiev raised the pace and closed the distance more as a third of the fight fizzed by.
Bivol held centre ring better in the fifth, using his jab and hand speed to dictate terms. However, Beterbiev was beginning to cut off the escape routes, letting his combinations go more.
Beterbiev was hunting the body in round six. Bivol’s left hand sagged down by his ribs as a result. Bivol planted his feet in the last 30 seconds of the sixth, trying to make a dent.
Bivol’s jab was back out in effect as he found a seventh-round second wind. Artur’s wayward head had not been picked up on by referee Thomas Taylor just yet. Bivol’s face was starting to mark up a little. Outraged by a Bivol combination, Beterbiev flexed out his arms and forced Bivol into a trade off.
Beterbiev stood at range and allowed Bivol to take the initiative in round eight, wanting to counter punch. Dmitry got the better of a round-closing exchange. Round nine saw Bivol’s up-and-down flurries dictating the tempo once again. After a burst and surge, Beterbiev seemed to have slowed down considerably.
Round 10 and Beterbiev needed something big for the final nine minutes in order to turn things around after being snake-charmed over the previous two sessions. Beterbiev’s lack of urgency was apparent as trainer Marc Ramsay screamed at his man to go out and seize the opportunity for a KO (undeterred later, Beterbiev said it was a rallying cry he hears often). The lack of bodywork from the beast had been a glaring omission as he sliced away at the midriff in round 11.
After 12 rounds of intense action, the judges decided the outcome for the first time in Beterbiev’s (21-0, 20 KOs) career. If anyone is used to negotiating the 12 it’s Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs), but on this occasion it wasn’t to be his night.
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