Dmitry Bivol is trying to toughen himself up with ice ahead of his rematch against four-belt 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev on February 22nd in Riyadh.
The Toughness Factor
Using ice to toughen himself won’t help Bivol if he lacks the punch resistance and bravery to stand in the pocket this time.
Bivol must change his mental outlook by trading with Beterbiev because he moved and clinched Artur frequently the last time they fought. Bivol’s body language looked bad like he was just trying to survive to get a decision win. He knows he fought poorly, and he can’t do that again if he wants a third fight.
Although Bivol and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, believed they deserved the decision, it was obvious he’d not done enough in the last half of the contest. The judges gave the victory to Beterbiev by a 12-round majority decision, and it looked like he’d done more than enough to win.
Beterbiev-Bivol Punch Stats
Bivol: 142 of 489 for 29%
Beterbiev: 137 of 474 for 28.9%
Artur landed more power shots, connecting on 90 to 84 for Bivol, and his shots appeared to be harder. When Beterbiev was in close, it looked like he was throwing arm punches, but they were jarring shots that were whiplashing Bivol’s head. Dmitry was blocking many of Beterbiev’s shots on his gloves, but the impact of the punches was still damaging due to the power.
Thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Bivol is getting another opportunity. This time, if Bivol fails to deliver, there likely won’t be another chance. He’ll have to get in the back of the line behind the contenders waiting to challenge Beterbiev. The winner of the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell fight will likely be next up if Bivol fails again.
“Of course, I feel I had enough power. We have a saying, ‘Even a stick [gun] once a year can shoot,'” said Dmitry Bivol to Secondsout when asked if he has the power to knock out Artur Beterbiev in their rematch on February 22nd.
“I’m trying not to pay attention to what people say. I’m trying to pay attention to what I feel after the fight and what I need to do. It makes you weaker if you find some excuses,” said Bivol.
Some fans believe that Beterbiev may need to knock out Bivol to win because there would be a lot of money available in a trilogy if Dmitry is victorious. There will be no point in a third fight if Beterbiev wins the rematch on February 22nd.
