Comments Thread For: Bivol: Barrera Made a Mistake Choosing to Fight Me, Not Kovalev

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Dmitry Bivol was pleasantly surprised when he learned Sullivan Barrera chose to fight him March 3 in New York. Bivol believed Barrera would instead opt to challenge WBO light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev in the main event that night. Facing the better-known Kovalev would've earned Barrera more money, as well as the title shot the Cuban contender will get against Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs), the WBA champion.
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[Andre_parker1]

we'll see march 3rd if that was a dumb move..

[Mammoth]

How? Bivol is green.

[STREET CLEANER]

The Barrera team might have opted for him for having less experience and that Barrera might have more range than him. Kov likes to keeps his opponents at the ends of his punches Bivol likes to be closer

[BendOver]

It is was about money and not give duva any leverage and options. That's all... He is getting less money now but will not own nothing to duva. He feels his promoter has always low-balled him. If he wins he will get some leverage and a belt.

[otrocubiche]

If Barrera beats Bivol, it'd be a masterful play, he's fought Valera and Bivol for less money and less risk, got a belt and will be able to get a lot more money from the fight against Kovalev, if he gets beaten, then it'd be regarded as a very bad move, career and money wise. We'll see the day of the fight.

[landotter]

I like Barrera's chances here. I think Bivol is a better talent with more skills and a healthy set of heavy hands that can do more damage, so I am leaning slightly to him. But he isn't getting a scrub here. Sullivan Barrera is a top level, smart, skilled fighter who has seen the best this division has to offer. He will not lose this fight, Bivol has to win it by outfighting him. I think Kov against Bivol is a more exciting match than Kov/Barrera, so maybe I am kind of hoping for a Bivol win more than thinking Barrera will actually lose the best chance he has for a huge payday.

Glad I have a little longer to think on this. May go back and rewatch Ward/Barrera.

[j.razor]

It is was about money and not give duva any leverage and options. That's all... He is getting less money now but will not own nothing to duva. He feels his promoter has always low-balled him. If he wins he will get some leverage and a belt.

I'm glad someone is paying attention. Thank you.

[Boxing Logic]

I like Barrera's chances here. I think Bivol is a better talent with more skills and a healthy set of heavy hands that can do more damage, so I am leaning slightly to him. But he isn't getting a scrub here. Sullivan Barrera is a top level, smart, skilled fighter who has seen the best this division has to offer. He will not lose this fight, Bivol has to win it by outfighting him. I think Kov against Bivol is a more exciting match than Kov/Barrera, so maybe I am kind of hoping for a Bivol win more than thinking Barrera will actually lose the best chance he has for a huge payday.

Glad I have a little longer to think on this. May go back and rewatch Ward/Barrera.

Define top level. To me top level means someone either has both elite speed and power, or elite speed and defense so they dont need as much power (think Lomachenko or to a lesser extent Lara, etc), or not elite speed but SUCH elite power, and amazing fundamentals and timing, that they dont need it (think prime GGG, although he used to have underrated speed).

Barrera on the other hand has good, not elite power, average speed at best, his defense is far worse than GGG's who people criticize all the time for "having no defense," but even those casual fan opinions aside, the point is Barrera's defense is not elite either. He's big, he's pretty heavy handed, he's strong, and he has good not great fundamentals. I'm not so sure he's any better than Isaac Chilemba or Eleider Alvarez, in fact I would pick Chilemba over him.

But, Ward fought Barrera, so there has been a huge push to say he's elite. Meanwhile David Lemieux is a much better version of Shabbransky, who gave Barrera hell. Lemieux also has better wins and has looked much more dominant in his fights. Much more KO power P4P as well. But the Ward fans say Lemieux is a bum. Obviously, he looked like one vs Saunders, but he had an injury in that fight, plus styles make fights, plus Saunders is emerging as the most underrated boxer in the sport. He fought Eubank Jr early before anyone knew how good either of those guys were, so when they both struggled with each other in their own ways, it had the effect of making both seem not that good. Plus no one outside of the UK paid attention to the details of that fight. Looking back now, both were absolute giants for 160, and both have very good handspeed and reach for 160, as well as underrated power.

And like I said, Shabbransky has also looked very amateur more often than Lemieux has, but he gave Barrera a ton of problems.

So, I personally don't rate Barrera that highly, but a lot of Ward fans do, which is great because now we get to find out. If Barrera legitimately beats Bivol, then we have to give those Ward fans credit, they called it. But if Bivol beats Barrera, then those Ward fans should have consistent standards (yeah right) and give Bivol credit that he may not deserve in reality, but which he certainly deserves within their LDBC alternate reality in which Barrera is considered a top level guy.

[P4Pdunny]

well we'll see