Boxing fans the world over sure got a great show last night/afternoon, depending on your location, this as “The Last Crescendo” delivered. Of the seven big fights that went down, all gave us some thrills, some spills, some drama, and a little controversy. From lightweight up to heavyweight, the fights proved well worth tuning in for.
But it was the 175 pounders, the light heavyweights, who stole the show. The fight of the night, in the opinion of most, was either the headliner between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, or the opening big fight of the night between Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi. Both fights were truly special, with so much action, ebb and flow, sheer quality, and sheer class on display.
The Smith-Buatsi war sent both points winner Smith and gutsy decision loser Buatsi to the hospital, the fight so punishing. There were some great rounds, some great examples of how thrilling it is seeing two world class fighters trade heavy shots, and in the end Smith, a deserved winner, walked away with a unanimous decision. Unfortunately, one of the cards handed in, one that somehow had Smith winning by a far too wide margin of 119-110, caused plenty of outrage.
In the opinion of most, this war was a one or two point fight in favour of whoever you felt was the winner, while some ringsiders felt a draw would have been fair. Smith, 31-2(22) showed that he has plenty left in the tank, and another world title shot could be in the offing for him. Buatsi, who showed some rock for a chin and head, can certainly come again, the now 19-1(13) warrior having shown his guts and courage last night.
A rematch would be most welcome here, but would these two want to go through what they went through in Riyadh a second time?
The return fight between the two kings of the division saw Bivol get his revenge in what was a simply superb fight. The pace was red-hot from the off and it scarcely slowed. This was boxing at its very best, with two great fighters, both at the top of their game, showcasing all their skills. It was arguably a better fight than the first one, with these two modern greats, who are so very, very evenly matched, pushing each other to the limit.
And there was basically nothing wrong with the scorecards that were handed in after the 12 pulsating rounds. Bivol, now 24-1(12) won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, with the third card having it all-even at 114-114. Bivol has now avenged the sole loss of his career and he is right back on top of the world.
Beterbiev, who lost for the first time in going 21-1(20) has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, as he fought very, very well. Bivol, though, was masterful. Now, the rubber-match awaits, as does a fight between Bivol and David Benavidez, who, along with other stars from the sport, such as Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora, Lennox Lewis, and the one and only Roberto Duran, was there to watch last night’s mega-card unfold.
Indeed, it’s a question that has already been asked and will likely continue to be asked over the coming weeks: which fight would YOU rather see next – Bivol-Beterbiev III or Bivol-Benavidez?
Knowing the way Turki Alashikh puts on the fight he wants to see, how he puts on the fights WE all want to see, one of these potential classics will come later this year, more than likely topping yet another monster card.
To coin a phrase, we boxing fans have never had it so good!
