IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) won a 12-round majority decision over WBA champion Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) to capture the undisputed 175-lb championship on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The scores for Beterbiev were 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112. I had it 115-113 for Bivol.
In the first round, Bivol used an effective jab, while Beterbiev got a right on the chin in the final punch. A Bivol round.
In the second round, Bivol took the first minute, but midway to the end of the round, Beterbiev took over, taking the round. In the third round, Bivol came back well, landing lead rights to the chin on several occasions. Beterbiev was having problems with Bivol’s hand speed. A Bivol round.
In the fourth round, Bivol landed combinations, while Beterbiev landed one punch at a time. Bivol’s round. In the fifth round, it was all Beterbiev landing more than one at a time. In the sixth round, Beterbiev got in body shots, which was a good round for him.
In the seventh round, Bivol kept in front of Beterbiev, outboxing him. Midway Bivol landed five unanswered punches. Again, with a minute remaining, Bivol landed four straight punches and then got on the run, allowing Beterbiev to take over in Bivol’s round, though close.
In the eighth round, Beterbiev came back well in another close round. He would switch to the southpaw side when Bivol was on the ropes. In this round, Bivol’s left eye starts to swell a bit. In the ninth round, Bivol used his footwork, avoiding some punching power that Beterbiev has. A left hook from Bivol midway on the chin was effective. Beterbiev seems to have a better round in the final minute in a close round.
In the tenth round, Bivol did well until the final thirty seconds. There are few clinches for referee Thomas Taylor, who is possibly the best in the business. In the eleventh round, it was all Beterbiev. Referee Taylor warned Bivol for pulling Beterbiev’s head down with a minute remaining.
In the twelfth and final round, the fans had previously continued yelling for Bivol. Beterbiev had a solid round with Bivol’s bruise under his left eye, which was the only real mark between them on their faces. It was a close one, though Bivol seemed to have an edge overall.
WBC World Feather champ Skye Nicolson (11-0, 1 KO) defeated Raven Chapman (9-1, 2 KO) by a ten-round unanimous decision.
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