Trainer Stephen Edwards commented on this summer’s undisputed fight between unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA champ Dmitry Bivol.
Edwards feels that IBF/WBC/WBO champion Beterbiev’s power and “terminator’ style of stalking his opponents and breaking them down will be too much for the pure boxer Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) when they fight.
Stephen’s expert view is that Bivol has speed, age, mobility, and combination punching advantages, but that won’t be enough to defeat Beterbiev.
The power and the relentless manner in which Beterbiev slowly chips away at his opponent’s round after round will sap the energy out of Bivol, leaving him susceptible to getting knocked out in the later rounds.
Beterbiev: The Terminator with a Pedigree
“I thought Callum Smith has a really good catch & counter left hook where he catches, and he comes back with his left hook. I thought that was his chance to get some work done in the fight,” said Stephen Edwards to Fighthype, talking about Artur Beterbiev’s victory over Callum Smith last Saturday night in Quebec City.
“I thought Callum Smith did better than he did against Canelo. He was trying to do some things. He was trying to go to the body and trying to establish his jab. He was in there with a superior fighter,” Edwards continued.
Most would agree that Smith fought poorly against Canelo Alvarez and Beterbiev, but he was worse against the latter. Canelo didn’t mark up or beat up Smith in their 2020 clash.
He landed a lot of shots on Smith’s biceps, swelling up his left arm by punching him there. Beterbiev marked up Smith’s face badly and dropped him twice in the seventh round to get the knockout. Smith went the full twelve-round distance against Canelo and was never in danger of being knocked out.
“He’s [Beterbiev] probably the best puncher in boxing. He’s got an Olympic pedigree. You’re dealing with a great fighter,” said Edwards about Beterbiev.
“It’s a classic boxer vs. puncher,” said Stephen about a fight between Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. “I think Bivol has tremendous movement with his in and out movement. He throws very sharp, straight punches. He’s got a really good jab.
“Beterbiev is like a terminator, and he sort of chips away at you like a demolition crew. With Beterbiev, he doesn’t give you that impression when he’s punching. They’re not loud; they’re not winded up. They’re just everything from the shoulders. He puts the right amount of tension on his punches,” said Stephen.
The unbeaten Beterbiev goes after his opponents, getting inside to chip away at them until they eventually succumb to his shots. He doesn’t put everything into all of his punches, but he hits so hard that he eventually scores knockouts.
Beterbiev Beats Bivol
“If you ask me who I favor. I favor Beterbiev to defeat Bivol,” Edwards said. “I know most of the time, the boxer wins this fight, but I like Beterbiev. There are some things that I’ve seen, I just don’t think he can overcome that. Bivol, you have to have a special level of durability to overcome what’s going on with Beterbiev.
“I’ve watched Bivol in fights where he’s had an outclassed opponent, and he won’t engage. So, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you got to secure the win. But something tells me that he won’t be able to take the punishment that he needs to take to deal with Beterbiev.
“I think Benavidez is actually a harder fight for Beterbiev. If Benavidez has the durability, he can probably beat Beterbiev because he’ll be getting off a lot faster in the midrange because Beterbiev doesn’t have the fastest hands. Benavidez will be hitting him to the punch.
“It’ll just be a matter if he can take what’s going on, but I think Bivol might give up too much ground, and he’ll probably let Beterbiev get a head of steam. You got to remember that Bivol is an outstanding fighter, but Beterbiev has seen that style a million times in the amateurs.
“He was probably better than all of those guys in the amateurs. You know, ‘The Nail’ [Oleksandr Gvozdyk] and Bivol, so he’s seen that Russian style to where they’re probing and going in & out, and he knows how to deal with that.
“He [Beterbiev] didn’t become an elite amateur by just being a puncher. So, I give him the slight edge in the match-up.
“I wouldn’t tell him [Bivol] to plant his feet and try to hurt him because that’s not how he fights. You’re going to do what you do best on your biggest nights. So, Bivol is an in & out probing boxer that throws fast, sharp punches, and so we will work on what he does best,” said Stephen.
Bivol Shouldn’t Change Style
“I wouldn’t tell him to hold his ground and knock the guy out because that’s not in him,” Stephen said about not wanting Bivol to try to bang with Beterbiev. “You can only tell somebody to do something that’s part of his make-up. It’s very difficult to change a guy to have them doing things that they’re not used to doing, and under anxiety and pressure, you expect them to come out.
“You see how much criticism Deontay Wilder got trying to box [against Joseph Parker]? I’m sure you heard the criticism Wilder got trying to fight a style that’s not conducive to the way he’s been successful all through his career.
“So with Bivol, I’ll have that young man do what he does best, and that’s bounce in & out. He’s going to have to be better than he’s ever been. Just because I say that I pick Beterbiev, that doesn’t mean he has to win. He has to go in and execute. Bivol is a tremendous fighter.
“Bivol may beat him, but I’m partial to Beterbiev in the match-up because I think he’s used to seeing that style, and he didn’t get to the Olympics for no reason. He didn’t have the amateur record that he had for no reason. So, he’s not just some mindless brawler that goes in there and lets guys outbox him.
“When you make it that deep in international competition, you have the ability to solve problems and deal with those kinds of boxers. It’s tough taking his [Beterbiev] punches,” said Stephen.
Where Beterbiev’s Strength Comes From
“He knows how to place them. He doesn’t load up on them, and he’s very, very physically strong on top of being a puncher,” Edwards said. “That’s why I never say that you can’t build punching power because you see all those freakish exercises he does.
“He’s not doing them in vain. He’s not just doing them because they look cute. He’s doing them because they are enhancing his punching power. They’re making his ligaments and bones stronger and keeping his wrist tight.
“So when he hits you, his wrist is not bending. It’s compact at the moment of impact. The guy knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to slow you down. He knows where to hit you at, and his defense is not as bad as everyone says it is.
“With the style that he fights, you’re going to get hit. There’s nobody in the history of boxing that’s a destructive fighter like him that doesn’t get hit. You’re going to get hit, but he knows how to block punches.
“He knows how to parry punches. If you get too greedy, he’ll counter-punch you. If your hands are too fast, he’ll step away from you. He knows what he’s doing. It’s a 50-50 match-up.
“Bivol is a tremendous fighter and has the speed advantage; he has the boxing ability advantage and the age advantage. So, he has some advantages in the fight. Just what I see, I think Beterbiev is going to be victorious,” said Edwards.
