What a special fight here tonight between Artur Beterbiev versus
Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight title. A match up of
perfection, of vastly different styles. Yet a narrative that saw them
both on the Russian amateur squad together.
Four Belts. VI Crown, they are calling it, 42 fights undefeated
between the two men from the Russian continent. The hardest fight both
brilliant, very different, ring exponents have tonight here at the
opening of Riyadh Season.
A year ago, Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, overseen by the now most
influential figure in boxing – His Excellency Turki AlalShikh, began
with then world No 1 heavyweight Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou,
the former UFC heavyweight champion. It had been criticised as too
one-sided. Yet it delivered in drama, and upsets.
There were two arenas; a shock performance from Ngannou, the former
UFC heavyweight champion, in his first boxing match, knocking world No
1 Fury down in the third round and making it a mighty close contest.
Drama. Theatre. A thrilling undercard replete with heavyweight fights.
A year on, so much change in the heavyweight division, the sport
changed with promoters and broadcasters all working together. Frank
Warren, then Eddie Hearn, and now Ben Shalom in the fold. Queensberry,
Matchroom, Boxxer. TNT Sports, DAZN, Sky Sports. The change is
cooperation; the change brings it all under one banner.
Boxing could be heading the route of one league, with fringe shows
elsewhere. We shall see…
But the sport, over-archingly, is poised to have its best fights, and
the shift is already visible.
****
This headline fight is so special. Beterbiev, for some the marginal
favourite, by dint of his power based on 100 per cent 20 fights, 20
knockouts, is the winner for some. He has been mine at times, but I go
back and forth, a changing scenario in my mind as I see the two men
dancing in the ring. This really will be beautiful brutality, a Sweet Science we await with breathless anticipation.
Yet Bivol, back and forth, using space, in what will be a large ring,
espousing the skills that have seen him grow in stature, and
resonance, edges ahead pre-fight for me.
The victory over Saul Canelo Alvarez, for many, including
me, make him a marginal favourite. Jab, jab, one-two. Hook. Movement.
Will Bivol outbox Beterbiev, age 39? Will Bivol be able to control
Beterbiev behind the jab, and dominate the boxing match. Will
Beterbiev eventually catch up with Bivol and draw his foe into a fire
fight, and stop his rival ? Or is Bivol even going to shock the world
and stop Beterbiev ?
Don’t write anything off in this one, because truly, anything could happen.
The light heavyweight division is replete with iconic names from the
past. Go back and Roy Jones Jr was the last to dominate, and names
like Bob Foster, Ezzard Charles, Archie Mooore.
The winner of this fight enters a Hall of Fame. They could even be seen as the pound for pound No 1, depending on how the dance plays out. We really cannot wait…
****
On the undercard, British heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke
go at it again, after their brutal 12 round war six months ago. I
thought Wardley edged what was scored a draw. Yet I see Clarke making
the adjustments this time and coming through against Wardley.
Whatever,
they will throw down like two gladiators and it is befitting that they
are being rewarded as two prizefighters on this card after giving so
much of themselves earlier this year in a thriller. It is a hard pick,
especially given that ‘dog’ in Wardley.
*****
History, too, in the first women’s match-up on a Riyadh Season card as
Skye Nicholson defends her world title against Raven Chapman, who must
break the defensive shell of the southpaw over 10 two-minute rounds.
Raven, Warren’s fighter, might just have the power an doggedness to do
so…
It is also Warren vs Hearn again… and we know how the old master
promoter has dominated with his fighters in the famed 5 vs 5 a few
months ago here. We are set for an amazing night of fights.