The desperation for Beterbiev-Bivol III next highlights Turki’s lack of understanding of the sport.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I can’t understand why they won’t get behind Bivol-Benavidez and meanwhile you can put Beterbiev on the undercard against another top rated contender. That creates far more excitement for a third contest IMO. On top of that you keep all the belts unified too.

Look at the majority of classic trilogies in boxing history… Bowe-Holyfield, Barrera-Morales, Ali-Frazier, or even Fury-Wilder in recent years. Did any of them happen back to back to back?

The only one I can think of is Gatti-Ward but if we’re honest neither of those guys had anywhere else to go really, especially for Ward.

[famicommander]

Beterbiev doesn't have many fights left at the top level. It's now or never for the trilogy, he's on the wrong side of 40. Bivol is 34, Benavidez is 28. They can wait another 6 months.

[IronDanHamza]

Eddie Hearn and co deem Turki a "massive boxing fan" but to me he seems more like a casual.

Always pushing for circus fights like Canelo-Crawford, MMA cross overs etc.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Eddie Hearn and co deem Turki a "massive boxing fan" but to me he seems more like a casual.

Always pushing for circus fights like Canelo-Crawford, MMA cross overs etc.

Yeah definitely comes across that way. He just wants to biggest events possible to generate public interest in visiting Saudi Arabia. I don’t think a guy like that being the biggest power-broker in boxing is necessarily a good thing. Not to say he hasn’t made some good things happen though, he’s certainly made some positive moves too.

[IronDanHamza]

Yeah definitely comes across that way. He just wants to biggest events possible to generate public interest in visiting Saudi Arabia. I don’t think a guy like that being the biggest power-broker in boxing is necessarily a good thing. Not to say he hasn’t made some good things happen though, he’s certainly made some positive moves too.

I agree. He's made great fights happen so can't complain.

Seems like a bit of a weirdo to me though. Wouldn't be all the way surprised if he ended up in some weird scandal in future

[Boxing 112]

I can’t understand why they won’t get behind Bivol-Benavidez and meanwhile you can put Beterbiev on the undercard against another top rated contender. That creates far more excitement for a third contest IMO. On top of that you keep all the belts unified too.

Look at the majority of classic trilogies in boxing history… Bowe-Holyfield, Barrera-Morales, Ali-Frazier, or even Fury-Wilder in recent years. Did any of them happen back to back to back?

The only one I can think of is Gatti-Ward but if we’re honest neither of those guys had anywhere else to go really, especially for Ward.

I would agree if age wasn't a factor Beterbiev being 40 is why i think trilogy should be next get it over and done with

[SouthpawRight]

Beterbiev doesn't have many fights left at the top level. It's now or never for the trilogy, he's on the wrong side of 40. Bivol is 34, Benavidez is 28. They can wait another 6 months.

I would agree if age wasn't a factor Beterbiev being 40 is why i think trilogy should be next get it over and done with

Turki is changing boxing and has improved the sport

Better this immediate rematch than the old style where they’d duck immediate rematches

Turki will put your ass in 2 or 3 big fights back to back

there’s a reduction of the old sequence for fights:
big-easy-big-easy

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I would agree if age wasn't a factor Beterbiev being 40 is why i think trilogy should be next get it over and done with

Get it over and done with sums it up really, the excitement and interest just isn’t there. That’s why I’m all for mixing things up before revisiting Bivol-Beterbiev.

[SouthpawRight]

neither of those guys had anywhere else to go really

watch a full Bena fight on half speed

Bena is good but a comfortable distance from great

Bivol and Artur are great fighters

There’s a 2.5 levels difference that separates Bivol ahead of Bena

left hook happy Bena doesn’t have a stylistic edge to close the 2.5 levels gap. Bivol isn’t susceptible for lead hooks

What I find odd about Turki’s fixation on a trilogy is Turki had Bivol winning the first fight 7-5

Turki is on the same page as most that Bivol beat Artur twice

two wins in a row over the same opponent would make a trilogy unnecessary

but fight 1’s judges failed. Per the rules of scoring boxing round by round clean punching takes precedence over aggression

because fight 1 judges fumbled and scored the decision to the wrong fighter we now have demand for a trilogy. The demand most strongly fueled by MuhammadBros

[famicommander]

Get it over and done with sums it up really, the excitement and interest just isn’t there. That’s why I’m all for mixing things up before revisiting Bivol-Beterbiev.

Beterbiev deserves his rematch while he's still somewhat close to his top level. He had a long reign (October 2019 through February 2025) and the light heavyweight title is the oldest active lineage in boxing right now, stretching back unbroken to Pascal v Dawson in 2010. Another six months could make all the difference between another competitive fight and a complete wash in Bivol's favor. Let Benavidez blast out the IBF mandatory challenger in the meantime so that they don't end up giving their belt to the winner of Tyler Eifert vs Connor Wallace or some other awful nonsense.