Saudi businessman Turki Alalshikh is reportedly interested in staging the undisputed light heavyweight championship between WBA 175-lb champion Dmitry Bivol and IBF, WBC & WBO champ Artur Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia as part of the Riyadh Season.
Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) is part of the December 23rd ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Saudi Arabia, defending against Lyndon Arthur (21-1, 16 KOs).
If Bivol wins that fight and Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) triumphs in his title defense against Callum Smith on January 13th, the two could meet next. Beterbiev has a tougher fight ahead of him against Smith than Bivol, who has a fairly simple job against Arthur.
This fight must happen soon because Beterbiev will be turning 39 on January 21st, and he can’t hang around forever before his skills start to erode.
Boxing fans have been waiting to see Bivol & Beterbiev square off for years, and now it could become a reality, thanks to Turki Alalshikh’s help. Again, both fighters still need to win their next fights for a clash between them to play out.
Advantages Bivol:
- Youth
- Speed
- Defensive ability
- Mobility
The 32-year-old Bivol could win a decision if he uses his mobility, jab, and ring IQ to foil Beterbiev’s brute strength.
Bivol has been inactive for a year due to injuries, and we don’t know how the time out of the ring will impact his game. We’ll see next month whether Bivol has lost anything when he defends his WBA 175-lb belt against Lyndon Arthur.
Beterbiev’s advantages:
- Power
- Size
- Chin
- Inside game
“I got Bivol. His style is difficult to deal with, and he doesn’t get hit much. Listen, the more time passes, the older Beterbiev gets,” said Chris Algieri to Truschoolsports when asked who will win the undisputed light heavyweight championship between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
“I think he’s 40 now or 39,” Algieri said about the 38-year-old Beterbiev. “He’s around my age. So, I know he lives a very clean lifestyle, and he stays in the gym. He had a bad jaw infection. That could affect him, too. Bivol is one of those guys. Stylistically, he’s a nightmare.”
“Three or four days ago, my manager phoned me up and said, ‘Will you do this,'” said Lyndon Arthur to Matchroom Boxing at the kickoff press conference for his fight against Dmitry Bivol on December 23rd.
When you got the call, what was your mindset? You hear the name ‘Bivol’, and you know how big he is in the division. What was your thought process?’ said Fabio Wardley, talking to Lyndon.
“I’m a Bivol fan. He’s my favorite fighter at the moment. What do you do? What am I supposed to say?” said Lyndon about what went through his mind when he was offered the fight against Bivol. “It’s one of those things.”
“When you get the call, you have to say, ‘Yes,'” said Wardley.
“We know the task at hand. We know how good Bivol is. It’s no secret, but I’ve got to go in and try my hardest,” said Arthur. “I don’t feel like there’s pressure on me like there will be on Bivol.
“If he has a bad performance against me, I can only win in that situation. It’s a bit of a win-win type of situation. I go in there, and I beat Bivol; I’ve changed my life for years, forever and over. It’s just one of those things again,” said Lyndon.
“For all boxers, we’re always waiting for that phone to ring for that one big opportunity,” said Fabio. “We’re all sitting there thinking, ‘Give me my one chance. Give me my one moment. Let me have a go at it and watch what I can do,’ and I think that’s what they’ve got.
“They’ve had the call, and their thought is, ‘Watch what I can do. I’m going to show you something on the night.'”
“That’ll be fine,” said Arthur when asked about his limp.
“Dmitry Bivol vs. Lyndon Arthur. I saw Lyndon Arthur over the weekend. You know this has just come around because there was a lot of talk about Craig Richards and Arthur,” said Ade Oladipo on his YouTube channel.
“All of a sudden, it’s Dmitry Bivol against Arthur. I think Lyndon stepped up. I remember it was Bivol against someone else [Richard ‘Popeye The Sailor Man’ Rivera]. Listen, Bivol is on this card.”
