Dmitry Bivol rubberstamped his greatness with a stunning revenge win over Artur Beterbiev to claim the undisputed light heavyweight title in Riyadh.
Bivol dropped a majority decision verdict to his fellow Russian in October last year but prevailed by the same method of victory on Saturday night, meaning it was Beterbiev’s turn to taste a first professional defeat.
Riyadh Season boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh has already talked up the prospect of a trilogy encounter and, greedily, as boxing fans we’d happily watch Bivol and Beterbiev trade fearless blows every four months until the end of time. Their brilliant and contrasting styles mesh so well at such a high level that it will always be appointment viewing.
But even with Alalshikh cutting a sort of surrealist fairy godfather for the sport, the rubber match is not guaranteed after all two ageing combatants have put each other through. Beterbiev is 40 now and it’s worth wondering how many more times he can go back to his well of relentless ferocity.
Even so, Bivol’s cemented pound-for-pound status means there are plenty of attractive options out there for him. Beware, though, there’s also one not-so-attractive potential obligation for the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine champion of the world.
MORE: How Bivol claimed a sensational revenge win over Beterbiev
Dmitry Bivol next fight: Options for light heavyweight king
Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev 3
All the most obvious roads lead here. Bivol not only mirrored Beterbiev’s manner of victory on Saturday but did so with identical final scores of 116-112 and 115-113 in his favour. On each occasion. a judge called their fights 114-114 even. The elite, violent chess Beterbiev and Bivol have produced in one another’s company means after only two fights you can begin talking about them in the same breath as some of the very greatest rivalries. Throw in another brilliant clash and Bivol-Beterbiev would justifiably stand alongside the likes of Robinson-Fulmer, Ali-Frazier and Pacquiao-Marquez.
Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing
Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez
Benavidez cut a curious figure on fight night. The big-punching Mexican-American produced a statement victory against David Morrell last time out, underlining his status as one of the very best at light heavyweight despite only recently stepping up to the 175-lbs division. Beterbiev entered the Bivol rematch as many people’s favourite; Benavidez also tipped him to win. Once the argument with his fellow Russian was settled, there was an obvious and much-discussed dance partner to get it on with. As such, Bivol vs. Benavidez hasn’t been discussed too much, but it would be a captivating encounter. If Beterbiev isn’t ready for a second immediate rematch, it’s the biggest-name fight on the table with a fully fledged light-heavyweight.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Callum Smith
Even allowing for the sheer brilliance of Beterbiev-Bivol 2, Callum Smith’s fabulous unanimous decision win over fellow Briton Joshua Buatsi retained a claim for being the fight of the night. Both men pounded their way through 12 brutal, bludgeoning rounds before Smith prevailed. In contrast to Benavidez, a Bivol win feels very handy for the 34-year-old Liverpudlian, who suffered a one-sided beatdown under Beterbiev’s thundering fists in January last year. There would be no appetite to run that one back, but Smith’s ability to throw punishing shots from range and box brilliantly on the inside would provide a worthy puzzle for Bivol’s boxing mind. It’s an easy fight to make, with both men under the Matchroom banner, and perhaps Bivol would fancy the experience of a UK stadium fight.
Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing
Dmitry Bivol vs. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez
This is Bivol and Benavidez’s common ground: frustrations over getting Canelo into the ring. Bivol famously did, once, producing a breakout performance in terms of his pound-for-pound status with a dominant defence of the WBA light heavyweight title against the Mexican superstar in May 2022. Bivol was keen on moving down to super middleweight to challenge Canelo for his belts there, while Canelo only wanted the return in Bivol’s weight class. The looming collision with Beterbiev and the subsequent brilliance of the contests has moved Bivol-Canelo 2 out of the public consciousness, but it would still be massive. If a Riyadh Season showdown between Canelo and a weight-hopping Terence Crawford cannot be finalised then Bivol is the biggest fight out there for him. In terms of legacy, it’s probably that already.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Michael Eifert
***Doom-laden music and thunder and lightning*** It’s our old friends the IBF and their stringent mandatory regulations. Remember how the first Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury fight was for the undisputed heavyweight crown but the second wasn’t? Yep, that’s because the IBF stipulated Usyk must sign to face their mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, who he had already beaten, or be stripped.
Firstly, the absence of an IBF belt would not lessen the appeal of Bivol-Beterbiev 3 in the slightest. But if he is to keep that status on the road, Bivol might have to take on unheralded German Eifert, who is the organisation’s No. 1 contender. Beterbiev was already granted a rare exemption by the IBF to make the Bivol rematch and a sanctioning body that prides itself on doing right by the contenders in its rankings can be expected to play hardball and insist Bivol gives Eifert his shot.
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