This Saturday afternoon from Saudi Arabia, the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol streams live on DAZN PPV. Many boxing folks don’t believe we needed to see a second bout. Others think the fight was close enough on the cards and, more importantly, in the ring to warrant a second go-round. Even with two boxers pulling out due to illness, the PPV card is stacked to the maximum. For this podcaster Ortiz Jr. versus Madrimov is my favorite on the undercard matchups. could all be main events?
The biggest question that Bivol will have to answer is punch activity. If Bivol’s in a similar scenario in the last few rounds, will he shell up in survival mode or do what needs to be done to be victorious? Now, that’s easy for me or anyone else to say on the sidelines, not having to fight in the ring. We’ve heard from the Bivol’s team including the fighter claiming he won’t leave it to the judges. But facing a come-forward monster like Beterbeiv, it is difficult to live up to words on fight night.
In their first meeting Bivol did have plenty of success with his left hand. Left jabs and short left hooks were effective along with countering with right hands. Whether counter or lead punch, Bivol landed his 1-2 combo very well. There were spots during the fight when Bivol needed to let his hands go. For the record, that doesn’t mean he should throw 100 punches a round. Also, throwing more combinations will open up Bivol defensively, so it’s somewhere in between.
Bivol won rounds early and appeared to be building a bit of a lead. Eventually, Beterbiev was able to cut off the ring. Artur skill level and even high guard defense gets overlooked at times because of his power punching. Artur was taking clean shots and a fair amount of them but how much damage did Bivol inflict? Look for Artur to attack the body earlier this time while, in that same breath, Bivol to be more assertive. Throwing and especially landing more quality shots will have both positive and negative effects on Bivol.
The cleaner the shots, the more rounds he will win. As previously mentioned, the activity will place Bivol in harm’s way. It’s also fair to assume that Beterbiev targeting the body allows for his head to be more available for Bivol. It’s hard to get my mind off what happened in the last two rounds. Artur not only increased his volume but was landing the much harder punches. This boxing junkie thinks the first scrap was the best chance for Bivol to win outright.
Could there be differences in how things play out in the 2nd bout? Of course, but in the end, the result will be the same, with Beterbiev getting his hand raised. The betting odds are razor-tight differing from much of the general public. It seems the vast majority are picking Artur yet he’s only around a –120 to –134 favorite. On one site Beterbiev by KO is +192 and by decision +242. If you favor Bivol, you can get him for +150 via decision and a whopping +910 via ko. Although the odds say different, I think Bivol has enough ring IQ and will likely tie up more or full-on hold down the stretch if need be enough to make it through the 12th round.
My Official Prediction is Artur Beterbiev by Unanimous Decision.
PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rope-a-dope-radio-podcast/id1794655742?i=1000693862334
Side Note: Martin Bakole is a great replacement for Daniel Dubois. Bakole wasn’t deep in training camp but did have a fight coming up in May. My Picks: Kabayel, Ortiz, Sheeraz, Buatsi, and let’s throw in Bakole as a minor underdog upset on late notice.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More!
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