Eddie Hearn thinks Dmitry Bivol has the skills to defeat Artur Beterbiev on October 12th in their undisputed light heavyweight championship. However, that’s assuming that Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) can find a way to keep Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) from cutting off the ring and catching him with some big shots.
WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol is a finesse fighter, who hasn’t fought an A-level guy with the power or the pedigree of IBF, WBC and WBO champion Beterbiev.
Hearn signed Bivol to his Matchroom company, believing he’s the real deal, but this will be the first time he’s faced a good opponent.
If Bivol loses, Hearn is already talking about making a fight between him and Canelo Alvarez at 168. That’s not too realistic, but that’s the only option he would have for a money fight. Canelo won’t see any value in fighting Bivol if he’s coming off a defeat against Beterbiev.
The light heavyweight division lacks stars, and the only reason the Beterbiev vs. Bivol fight is happening is due to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh taking an interest in seeing this fight. Other than Canelo, a rematch between Bivol and Beterbiev would be the only reason to keep Dmitry.
“I appreciate that there are bigger fights commercially than this, but tell me a better fight. This is a top fight,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing News, talking about the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol clash on October 12th.
“It’s for the undisputed light heavyweight championship with the two best light heavyweights in the world with every belt in boxing on the line. So, for me, I can’t wait. It’s two weeks away this Saturday. It’s come around so quick.
“The first fight was canceled because Beterbiev wasn’t available. Dmitry had the benefit of that fight. I think that’s going to help him, but it’s a complete 50-50 fight. Bivol is the master boxer, and Artur Beterbiev is a destruction machine. He’s a very powerful, incredible fighter. It’s two of the best in the sport going at it.
“It’s a very tough fight. I believe he’s [Bivol] a slight favorite in the fight because I feel, skill-wise, he’s a better fighter than Artur Beterbiev. We’ve seen time and time again that Artur can sometimes lose rounds, but he just hunts you down,” said Hearn.
It doesn’t matter what the oddsmakers are picking for this fight because they don’t know any better who will win than the average fan. The truth is, it’s a fight in which Beterbiev should be the favorite because he dominates boxers, especially ones that throw combinations like Bivol.
If Bivol is going to play it safe by jabbing and moving, he’s going to have to run all night because Beterbiev is going to chase him down and butcher him. It could be a Shakur-esque performance by Bivol, and I don’t mean that as a compliment.
“Will Dmitry be able to gain respect? Will he be able to outbox him for the duration of the fight without being cut off and caught up? It’s a very tough task, but if anybody can beat Artur Beterbiev, it’s Dmitry Bivol,” said Hearn.
