One of the benefits to the sport of Boxing over the last couple of years as the sport has expanded into new markets including several events now regularly taking place in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been not only bouts of significant interest taking place with seemingly less red tape than is the norm, but also rematches of those bouts occurring in a more streamlined way than what is normally the case. In recent times, it was the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world in 2024 between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uysk, first to determine an undisputed champion, then the rematch in December of last year. Two fights that saw Usyk emerge victorious.
Another undisputed championship that was also staged in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in October of last year was the encounter between undefeated world champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol met to determine a sole champion in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division. In a highly competitive bout that saw several shifts in momentum throughout, it was Beterbiev that emerged victorious via a twelve round majority decision to become the Undisputed Light-Heavyweight champion of the world. Four months later, in a similar timeframe to the timeline of the Usuk-Fury rematch, the time for the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch on February 22nd back in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first encounter between the two was almost a virtual standstill in terms of who had the upper hand in a fight that could have gone either way. Bivol seeming to do more in the early rounds and outworking Beterbiev, and then Beterbiev rallied in the middle and late rounds to narrowly score the victory. Frankly, that fight could have been scored either way.
This time, the tempo of the combat was much the same way as it was in the first fight. If there were differences, they were subtle in that Beterbiev seemed to be more aggressive early in the fight rather than gradually stepping up his pace as the fight progressed. Another subtle change that occurred this time around is that while Beterbiev applied consistent pressure from the outset, Bivol kept his jab working throughout the entire fight while being forced to move by Beterbiev.
While the jab is something that seems to be overlooked by some due to it being an elementary punch that is among the first thing that one is taught in the gym as they attempt to become a fighter, when it is implemented and executed with both timing and precision, it can not only be an effective weapon, but it also can help win rounds that could otherwise be scored the other way. Although Beterbiev seemed to land the harder punches of the two fighters when he did land, which is what happened in the first fight as well, the difference was unlike the first fight where he stopped using his jab as the fight progressed, Bivol kept throwing his jab and mixing in combinations with consistency throughout the rematch.
Despite the subtle adjustments of both fighters, the rematch, much like the first fight, ended up in a virtual standstill. No knockdowns scored between the two fighters and several proverbial “Swing Rounds" where who won a round could have been determined by moments that could sway opinion one way or another. Due to being impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton in October of last year when the first fight between Beterbiev and Bivol occurred, this observer was prevented from covering that bout as would normally be the case. Nevertheless, I did watch the first encounter via my phone due to the circumstances at that time and I felt Bivol won that fight seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points. My initial score was verified when I was able to return to my home and view the fight once more even though it was Beterbiev that got the nod in the first fight.
This time, at the conclusion of twelve rounds, I arrived with the same scorecard as I had in October with Bivol winning seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points. The difference between fight one and fight two, at least as far as how yours truly saw things, is I felt Bivol won three of the last four rounds, which was enough to give him the edge by two rounds on my scorecard. In the first fight, I felt Bivol won the first four out of twelve rounds and then earned three more rounds out lf the final eight rounds, as Beterbiev seemed to take control of the ebb and flow.
Although I ended up with the same score in the rematch as I had the first time around, I also felt the same way as I did at the end of fight one in feeling that it could go either way. This time, it would also be a majority decision, but with Bivol getting the nod making him the new Undisputed Light-Heavyweight champion of the world.
With two fights now in the books between Bivol and Beterbiev, and with the undisputed championship in the Light-Heavyweight division now having changed hands, the obvious question is what happens now? The logical answer would be a third fight between the two. After twenty-four closely fought rounds in two fights being fought to a virtual standstill, would a third fight produce a conclusive outcome? While one can never rule out a possibility of a knockout or a potentially wide decision win, stylistically, the styles of the two fighters, Beterbiev a pressure power puncher, Bivol, a fighter who also has punching power, but one that has evolved into a boxer/puncher, are such that they mesh in such a way that they could square off ten times and each time, the combat will likely be close, competitive, and have a difference of opinion amongst fans and experts alike as to who has the upper hand. It will likely always be a close call, but this observer is very much looking forward to the next chapter.
“And That's The Boxing Truth.”
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