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Cbilemba isn't a fighter most look good againet.
Good scalp for Bivol
Good scalp for Bivol
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Good win for Bivol at this stage i think.
You just don't walk through Chilemba. I was actually surprised they made that fight. Not that Bivol was ever going to lose, but it's not the best opponent to pick if you want to showcase a fighter on TV, or was it a mandatory?, if not, it's like picking Sakio Bika, knowing you're never going to look spectacular.
Anyway, considering how hard it is to look good against Chilemba, i think beating him by pretty much a shutout shows that you're still probably operating on a high level. Bivol was comfortable, maybe too comfortable.Comment
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"fight" looked like a sparring sessionComment
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where was beterbiev tonightComment
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Bivol the goods. Did he hurt his hand in 10th? Noticed he quit throwing right hand but havent heard anything on it. Chilemba can take a but whooping...good god that guys tough hahaComment
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Bivol has it all but he was repeating the same few punch combos the entire night, which Chilemba eventually got the timing of and was able to mostly avoid. Then again, that's all Chilemba was doing, avoiding. But Bivol did not throw ONE uppercut all night. As the shorter fighter with the shorter reach, you need to utilize the uppercut in some situations. It's like when Kovalev fought Ward and had no left hook, Ward figured it out and that's the area where he always escaped to, where the left hook should have been. Obviously it still wasn't enough and Ward needed corruption on his side to escape with wins over Kovalev, but the point still stands.
That's the hole in these Russian fighters games. They have the skill, speed, power, etc, but they need to learn every single punch, and they need to stay to the body. Kovalev's comeback against Alvarez last night started when he threw repeated body punches. The moment he stopped, Alvarez was able to recover and knock him out.
I think it's time these Russian fighters stopped being extremely trained by either amateur coaches (unless his name is Anatoly Lomachenko), or coaches with no track record like JDJ. It would be great to see what these talents could accomplish with a Freddie Roach, or heck, even a Roy Jones Jr. Someone who understands the often dirty tricks that corrupt officials let fighters get away with in the North American boxing game.Comment
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That's because Bivol wasn't just boxing a tricky opponent in Chilemba, he was also doing a trampoline workout for 36 minutes at the same time.
Seriously, Bivol's bouncing style is awesomely skilled, but no light heavyweight in the world can sustain that for 12 rounds. If I was his trainer I would look for ways to mix it up. When you're on the line, create angles with the bouncing, but when you're defending or countering, try just normal sidesteps that dont require the same energy as bouncing that much. Look at Lomachenko and Usyk for ways not to burn so much energy.
Also, if Bivol wants to be a sure thing potential future #1 P4P fighter, he is a sure thing at 168, not 175. 175 for Bivol is like 135 for Loma. Still the most skilled guy, but there is big risk always facing bigger opponents. 168 would be like 130 was for Loma, where he looked unbeatable.Comment
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