I have a strong feeling Bivol will knock Beterbiev out

[hhh1200]

Show me a fight where Bivol moves around? He just bounces in and out in a wide stance. Beterbiev punches don't travel that far to get off his power shots.

IMO he'll have to move like Browne and maintain it for 12 rounds while getting off his combos. Browne is throwing some good power shots earily but maintaining is another story.

Don't think Bivol has it in him to fight toe - toe like Yarde.

[JakeTheBoxer]

If Beterbiev wants to have any chance, he must fight patiently. He must forget his 100% KO ratio.

Go and box him, keep the distance, jab him, go to the body. If he can take his legs away, he can win.

I will be REALLY impressed if Beterbiev beats Bivol.

[deathofaclown]

That is what usually happens to these KO artists. It is logical to everybody that actually watches boxing.

Ali - Foreman situation over and over again. except Bivol is even much younger, not older like Ali was compared to Foreman.

Very aggressive guys usually force things to happens. they want to KO a better man which usually results in a KO loss for them.

I kind of agree. I don't think it would be a clean easy knockout though...

But Bivol is the best in boxing at pure distance control and sets a very very high tempo when he chooses to. Its one thing being 39 years old when you can dictate everything against Callum Smith at your own pace.

It's another thing being 39 in with an opponent that might control the range and pace of the fight and you're having to work much harder than usual to have success because that younger elite boxer controls distance better than anyone in boxing today. Then suddenly by the 9th or 10th round you will start feeling 39 years old.

I can definitely see a way Bivol could stop him late if he presses the action late in the fight if Beterbiev had had to work hard. He is pretty safety first though, so if he's dictating the fight he may just cruise to a points win.

[deathofaclown]

I think beterbiev will win by KO.

Its still maybe 60/40 but I want to pick someone.

I watched a bunch of recent fights, the reason I pick beterbiev is his stamina is great, he doesnt get tired in the late rounds, he just keeps coming. I dont think bivol can keep him a way for that long. Hes also an accumulation guy, its not any one punch, he builds them up. He also goes to the body and doesnt just head hunt. Bivol has great stamina himself and all that, but he cannot just run around counter a bit and expect beterbiev to give up or get tired. Ive seen bivol rocked late by Joe Smith, so if Joe can do that and land late I think Beterbiev will also be landing and he wont be exhausted in the late rounds like Joe Smith was.

Betebiev doesn't get so tired because he can dictate most things.

Fighting bivol is another thing. As I said in my above post, Bivol is the best in boxing at distance control and can set a high tempo at the same time. Beterbiev could be made to work far harder for success than he's used to, thats when people's stamina starts to fall apart and they might start looking nearly 40.

Most fighters have good stamina if they're able to dictate the range and pace. Even Canelo who people say has poor stamina looks fine vs the likes of Charlo because he's working how he wants and the opposition didn't make him work for it. But we see against Bivol he was gasping for air.

Credit to Beterbiev that hes been able to dictate what happens in fights. But at 39 year old fighting the guy with good work rate and masterful distance control will be the biggest test of Beterbiev's stamina.

All I'll say is don't be surprised to see him look his age. Age is age, no matter how well you look after yourself. All it takes is the perfect opponent and style and it'll show eventually. It's been the case throughout boxing history and always will be.

[deathofaclown]

Ive been saying we haven't seen the best from Bivol. Have a feeling he's going to beat Beter as well. May the best man win

Its clear that Bivol fights to the level of his opponents. The better the opponent, the better he fights. Some fighters are like that.

[PerfectJab]

Most people seem to think Bivol will be moving around and try to keep Beterbiev off of him.
No matter the outcome of the fight, that is not how I see it.
Bivol fights agressively vs agressive, come forward fighters that are used to walking their opponents down. Puts them in a place they have never been before. He bullies the bully and puts them on the backfoot

[JakeTheBoxer]

Betebiev doesn't get so tired because he can dictate most things.

Fighting bivol is another thing. As I said in my above post, Bivol is the best in boxing at distance control and can set a high tempo at the same time. Beterbiev could be made to work far harder for success than he's used to, thats when people's stamina starts to fall apart and they might start looking nearly 40.

Most fighters have good stamina if they're able to dictate the range and pace. Even Canelo who people say has poor stamina looks fine vs the likes of Charlo because he's working how he wants and the opposition didn't make him work for it. But we see against Bivol he was gasping for air.

Credit to Beterbiev that hes been able to dictate what happens in fights. But at 39 year old fighting the guy with good work rate and masterful distance control will be the biggest test of Beterbiev's stamina.

All I'll say is don't be surprised to see him look his age. Age is age, no matter how well you look after yourself. All it takes is the perfect opponent and style and it'll show eventually. It's been the case throughout boxing history and always will be.

Agree.

If Beterbiev becomes wild in the last rounds and too brave, I can see Bivol winning by a TKO.

If I was Beterbiev, I would go for a KO in the last rounds. If the fight goes distance, I think Bivol wins. I think Beterbiev knows that too.

[deathofaclown]

Agree.

If Beterbiev becomes wild in the last rounds and too brave, I can see Bivol winning by a TKO.

If I was Beterbiev, I would go for a KO in the last rounds. If the fight goes distance, I think Bivol wins. I think Beterbiev knows that too.

Beterbiev tried to avoid Bivol for years until he got offered Saudi money

Beterbiev joined DAZN in 2018. Matchroom and DAZN signed Bivol to try to make a unification. Beterbiev quickly left as soon as Bivol joined so he could get easier unification fights.

Check every Arum interview until a few months ago. He was trying to block the fight, saying Bivol is boring and doesn't wanna make the fight. Then he was saying the WBC won't let Bivol fight because he's still a Russian resident and Bob won't sign the fight if its not undisputed. Beterbiev was hiding behind Arum.

These Russians have known for years how good Bivol is. Kovalev wanted no part of him when they were both champs in 2019. Beterbiev ran away from a network and hid behind a promoter for a few years. Other Russian fighters hid and let Mexicans find out what the Russians knew.

Now the Saudi money is too much to turn down.

[JakeTheBoxer]

Beterbiev tried to avoid Bivol for years until he got offered Saudi money

Beterbiev joined DAZN in 2018. Matchroom and DAZN signed Bivol to try to make a unification. Beterbiev quickly left as soon as Bivol joined so he could get easier unification fights.

Check every Arum interview until a few months ago. He was trying to block the fight, saying Bivol is boring and doesn't wanna make the fight. Then he was saying the WBC won't let Bivol fight because he's still a Russian resident and Bob won't sign the fight if its not undisputed. Beterbiev was hiding behind Arum.

These Russians have known for years how good Bivol is. Kovalev wanted no part of him when they were both champs in 2019. Beterbiev ran away from a network and hid behind a promoter for a few years. Other Russian fighters hid and let Mexicans find out what the Russians knew.

Now the Saudi money is too much to turn down.

I like Beterbiev, but at press conference, he looked like he didn`t want to be here. Like he wanted to say: yeah, now I must fight Bivol, it is what it is.

The money is too good, he can`t refuse that, obviously.

[Clegg]

It's possible but unlikely imo. Ali stopped Foreman but there are lots of fights where the boxer didn't KO the puncher. Ali had a better offence than Bivol. Look at his last fight, he had his overmatched opponent hurt on the ropes but couldn't get him out of there. His whole attack is basically 1-2-3, he varies if the left hook is to the head or the body but there's not much creativity. He's a great boxer but not a great puncher or a great finisher.

Beterbiev is getting old but he manages his gas tank well, if he's getting outboxed I think he'll press forward but not go kamikaze style. He's a methodical guy, that mentality is less likely to get stopped than somebody like Foreman, Hatton, Tyson types who are more emotional.