STAR BOXING PREVIEW: Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol

The light-heavyweight division will crown an undisputed champion for the first time in the four-belt era this weekend as Artur Beterbiev (20-0 20KO) and Dmitry Bivol (23-0 12KO) finally meet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, writes JORDAN NEILD.

It’s the fight boxing fans have longed for and after years of anticipation, we will finally find out who is the greatest 175lb of this generation.

A record of 20-0 (20KO) has crowned Artur Beterbiev as the most dangerous man in boxing and despite being just months out from his 40th birthday, he remains at the top of the sport. For generations, boxers have padded their records against sub-par opposition and appeared to be knockout artists before ultimately falling short in competitive fights but the same cannot be said for Artur Beterbiev.

On his record, he has knockout wins against the likes of Callum Smith, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Joe Smith Jr and Anthony Yarde, all highly capable fighters that couldn’t hear the final bell when facing off against Beterbiev. Simply put, Artur Beterbiev is capable of knocking out any fighter in division.

The knockouts make the headlines but the 39-year-old is so much more than just a puncher. He was an elite amateur, who fought at the Olympic games in 2012 and he relies on that pedigree to this day. It’s not mistake that Beterbiev finds openings to finish fights, he sets it up with elite footwork, a ferocious jab and calmness to take opponents out when they are hurt.

Dmitry Bivol is also undefeated and in truth, he has barely left second gear in his first 23 fights as professional. 15 knockouts is a respectable return and the 33-year-old can end fights when he needs to but against opposition that can’t get him out of his comfort zone, he tends to adopt a safety first attitude to avoid any unnecessary defeats.

The word boring has been levelled at Bivol during his professional career but for anybody who appreciates the ‘sweet science’ he is anything but. The undefeated Russian is perfect in every facet of the sport. Balance, poise, shot selection, footwork, whatever technical skill is required, Dmitry Bivol can do it as good as any fighter in the world.

The defining fight on Bivol’s record to this point is the domination of Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in 2022. At the time, Canelo was considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and he moved up to light-heavyweight expecting to take the belts from Dmitry Bivol with little fuss. However, the Mexican learned a long and painful lesson on the night and was comprehensively beaten over twelve rounds.

Bivol raises his game against better fighters but he will need to be at his absolute best to keep a ferocious puncher like Beterbiev at bay for twelve rounds and at some point, he will need to land with something of his own that gets his opponents’ respect, which could cause the fight to ignite.

There are so many unknowns in this fight but it’s two of the best light-heavyweights we have ever seen coming together and it can’t fail to be a good fight. It’s impossible to pick a winner but the fight needs a conclusively ending so a price of (11/10) for the fight to NOT go the distance seems fair.

The co-main event is a rematch of one of the best all British heavyweight fights we have seen in recent times. Fabio Wardley (17-0-1 16KO) and Frazer Clarke (8-0-1 6KO) shared a twelve-round war back in March and they arrive in Saudi Arabia ready to put an end to what has become a bitter rivalry.

That first fight ended a draw and both men landed telling shots but it was Fabio Wardley that would have come away believing he had missed a chance to register a big win. The reigning British champion had Clarke down in round give and hurt multiple times after but just couldn’t find the composure to finish the fight.

Clarke showed incredible heart last time and landed big shots of his own but if Wardley has learnt his lesson, he can get the conclusive win he was searching for seven months ago and retain his British heavyweight title. Fabio Wardley to win by KO/TKO is the bet here at (6/4)

There are other big names on the card including cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia and rising star Ben Whittaker but it’s Chris Eubank Jr that has caught the attention this week and the Englishman will be hoping a big win over Kamil Szeremeta will set up another big opportunity in Saudi Arabia next year.

This is a fight heavily stacked in Eubank Jr’s favour but he needs to shine in order to secure big fights at this stage of his career. Anytime his back has been against the wall, the 35-year-old has produced the goods and we can expect the same this weekend.

Chris Eubank Jr to win in rounds 1-6 is worth a bet at (5/2)

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Bivol vs Beterbiev to NOT go the distance 1pt at 11/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Fabio Wardley to win by KO/TKO 1pt at 6/4 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Chris Eubank Jr to win in rounds 1-6 1pt at 5/2 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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PROFIT/LOSS (OCT 2024): -6.67 POINTS

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