The brand new Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 trailer came out today, looking superbly done to create interest in the light heavyweight undisputed championship rematch on February 22nd on DAZN PPV.
Trailer Talk
The trailer has a dark look, with much of it staged in an opera theater with a singer, statues, promoters, and the ring announcer Michael Buffer briefly shown. It was a collection of images thrown together. One sees Bivol falling to the floor with glass shattering, which could be a glimpse of what fans will see in the rematch.
I’m glad we don’t see Bivol killing a poor bear with a sword in the trailer for the first fight. That was off-putting. But as far as the new trailer, there’s some good stuff and a bunch of junk that should have been left on the cutting room floor.
The former WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) has said in interviews that he wants to throw more punches but also wants to move more than last time. Hopefully, we don’t see that because this is a PPV event.
Dubbed ‘The Last Crescendo,‘ the Beterbiev-Bivol II rematch name suggests this fight will prove once and for all who the better fighter is between them. It looked pretty clear last time that Beterbiev (21-0, 20 was mentally stronger, wanted it more, and had Bivol in full retreat mode from rounds 7 through 12.
That’s if Bivol chooses to fight rather than flee around the ring like last time. He made the fight unwatchable for the last seven rounds with his Shakur-esque running and holding of Beterbiev. Some fans still think Bivol was robbed last time, but he gave away the last seven rounds, choosing to move.
What many casual fans aren’t aware of is that Beterbiev was coming off knee surgery for a torn meniscus and took the fight with Bivol just months after recovering. That’s impressive. For Beterbiev to chase Bivol around the ring with one good leg shows how great a fighter he is.
Cut the Clutter
If I were creating the trailer, I’d edit out the parts showing the promoters, Buffer, and the opera theater stuff and focus more on the fighters to create interest in the actual Beterbiev-Bivol 2 fight. Fans aren’t going to get excited about ordering the event by looking at people who have nothing to do with what they’re interested in seeing.
If you’re trying to sell this fight to the public, you must look at what the fans are interested in seeing. They don’t want to see old guys with nothing to do with what’s happening inside the ring, do they? I don’t.
The fight was conclusive enough not to require a rematch, but fans and Bivol’s promoter complained, so a rematch was ordered. If Bivol loses again, the same situation could play out. A big push for a needless trilogy.
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