If Saudi money-man Turki Alalshikh gets his way – and he usually does as far as being able to make the big fights he wants to make – we will see the two winners from the upcoming 175 pound fights between David Benavidez and David Morrell and Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol fight each other on what would be a big card later this year.
As per a news story from The Ring, Alalshikh will invite tonight’s winner of the Benavidez-Morrell fight (if there actually is one; what price the draw in Vegas tonight?) to sit ringside at the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch on February 22. As fans know, Beterbiev, 21-0(20) edged Bivol, 23-1(12) in a great fight back in October, and now the rematch is fully expected to be another excellent fight. And the winner could then fight either Morrell or Benavidez. Talk about a hot time for the light heavyweight division.
We are just hours away from the Benevidez Vs. Morrell fight, and almost everyone is anticipating a real war, perhaps an early candidate for 2025 Fight of the Year. The WBC interim title will be on the line tonight at The T-Mobile in Vegas, as will the WBA “world” title. But assuming Alalshikh gets his way, tonight’s winner will move into a massive fight that will afford them the chance to win all the marbles at the weight.
However, there could prove to be a snag. If Bivol – who a good many people feel deserved the decision in the October fight, Benavidez among them – gets his revenge on Feb. 22, the call for a trilogy fight would likely be significant, while Beterbiev would almost certainly want the opportunity to avenge his first pro loss, and he would perhaps want it in an immediate rematch, or rubber-match.
Either way, whether we get Beterbiev or Bivol against either Benavidez or Morrell later on this year, or if we get Bivol-Beterbiev III, we fans will be excited. Either fight would be big, and of course we’d tune in to either fight.
But first things first, and who wins tonight, Benavidez, 29-0(24) or Morrell, 11-0(9), and who wins the February 22 rematch, Beterbiev or Bivol?
Picks: I’m going for the draw tonight (and this would likely affect Turki’s plans, with a rematch between Benavidez and Morrell sure to be called for in the event of a draw). While I pick Bivol to get the decision win over Beterbiev later this month.
