Dmitry Bivol is working on his strength to improve and increase his power for his rematch with undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on February 22nd in Riyadh.
Two months ago, Beterbiev defeated Bivol by a 12-round majority decision, but he’s getting a second chance due to the complaining from fans and Dmitry’s promoters. There was no real controversy. To sum it up, Bivol’s nerves failed him, and he did not want to fight Beterbiev.
Beterbiev had dominated and had deserved the win by an 8-4 score. I watched the fight and had it 9-3 for Beterbiev.
The Scores
115-113: Beterbiev
114-114
116-112: Beterbiev
Round Two
Dmitry looked like a scared rabbit in the previous fight and was unwilling to fight the wolf-like Beterbiev when pressed in the sixth round. It’s hard to imagine the rematch being any different than the first fight because Bivol lacks the chin, power, and, more importantly, the courage to stand and fight Beterbiev.
Dmitry is talking about wanting to be more aggressive for the second contest, but when he gets in the ring with Beterbiev and the artillery starts raining down on his position, Bivol’s fear will surface again. He’ll then run around the ring like last time, making it boring for fans to watch. He has no heart for fighting.
The former WBA 175-lb champion Bivol (23-1, 14 KOs) was deficient in his power game in his 12-round majority decision loss to Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) two months ago on October 12th. He’s got to build himself up in this area if he’s to have a shot at winning the rematch.
Turki Al-Shiekh has given Bivol a chance to avenge his loss, but if he gets beaten this time, he will have run out of chances. His promoters and loyal fans squawked about the loss last October, believing he’d done enough to win, but he hadn’t.
Ideally, another opponent should have been allowed to challenge Beterbiev rather than running it back with a needless rematch. The boxing world would have preferred that David Benavidez, Joshua Buatsi or David Morrell face Beterbiev rather than to the defensive-minded Bivol get another shot.
Bivol’s Adjustments
Beterbiev-Bivol’s fight was boring due to the defensive style that Bivol brought to the fight, which involved him using the Shakur-esque three-foot step back, movement, and clinching. Beterbiev made the entire fight by attacking and chasing rabbit-like Bivol around the ring.
Bivol, 34, fled when Beterbiev began to pressure him in the second half of the contest. He showed that he wanted no part of mixing it with the unbeaten unified champion.
What Bivol Must Do To Win Rematch
– Stay in the pocket: Don’t run
– Be brave
– Jab more
– Attack the body
– Limit movement
Bivol is not young at 34, and he can’t move for 12 continuous rounds to avoid the attacks from Beterbiev. We saw that last time they fought, and it cost him when he gassed out due to his decision to run when pressed by Artur.
Bivol levelling up for the rematch 📈#BeterbievBivol2 | #RiyadhSeason | Feb 22, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh
📸 @bivol_d pic.twitter.com/yjXFzgaHB7
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 31, 2024
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