Has anyone even watched Bivol before?

[Quercusalba]

Craig Richards gave Bivol a harder fight lol

Craig Richards thought he won his fight with Bivol (he was counting on that home cooking. you can see it when they read the scores).

[Quercusalba]

Not really, this was easier than Joe Smith for Bivol. Been watching Bivol for years. You do realize this is a boxing forum irght lmao??

I don't understand your response at all.

[BigZ44]

Oh, he was definitely on his A game. I agree with you there, but I just don't think he had to dig as deep as some on the DAZN team were suggesting. It looked like pretty easy work to me.

I agree with you that this wasn't some version of Bivol that nobody had ever witnessed before or that he had to go to some deep place to win this. He won pretty comprehensively from start to finish and if anything was picking up steam and gaining confidence as the fight went along. Even though I picked Canelo by close decision, I feel kinda vindicated because I've been pushing Bivol since I first watched him coming up on Povetkin and Lebedev undercards in Russia

[Quercusalba]

I agree with you that this wasn't some version of Bivol that nobody had ever witnessed before or that he had to go to some deep place to win this. He won pretty comprehensively from start to finish and if anything was picking up steam and gaining confidence as the fight went along. Even though I picked Canelo by close decision, I feel kinda vindicated because I've been pushing Bivol since I first watched him coming up on Povetkin and Lebedev undercards in Russia

Isn't it funny that Joe Smith Jr. picked up and body slammed Bivol, and Canelo very nearly did the exact same thing tonight? Is his skill and precision just that frustrating?

[MikeyG]

I don't necessarily agree. I think he was more intense in his approach. In his last fight, he was content to just do 1 - 2 with occasional left hook, but in this fight he had more variety in his offense, even threw uppercuts there. It was similar performance as against Sullivan Barrera and that was in 2018.

[Quercusalba]

I don't necessarily agree. I think he was more intense in his approach. In his last fight, he was content to just do 1 - 2 with occasional left hook, but in this fight he had more variety in his offense, even threw uppercuts there. It was similar performance as against Sullivan Barrera and that was in 2018.

I agree the best version of Bivol showed up tonight. I'm just saying that tonight's performance, although excellent by any measure, wasn't some aberration.

[BodyBagz]

Biv's opponents didn't interest me.

[MaksBox]

Thinking on it more, the big thing, Bivol DID NOT respect Canelo and did not put him on a pedestal like Kovalev and others did. Bivol was not afraid to unload combos on Canelo and knew that Canelo cannot seriously hurt him too bad... he is not a power puncher like Smith Jr and others.

[_original_]

Beautiful boxing from Bivol, guy was on point on both defense and offense. He has amazing ring awareness at all times. Canelo looked one dimensional just chucking wild hayemakers dumbfounded they wouldn’t land.