Dmitry Bivol became the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world after he outpointed Artur Beterbiev in another absorbing and magnificent contest of great technical skill and profound courage. Bivol, who narrowly lost a majority decision to the 40-year-old former champion just over four months ago, won the rematch and the sweetest redemption in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh.
The scores were exactly the same as they had been in October – with one judge ruling it a 114-114 draw and the two other officials reaching verdicts of 116-112 and 115-113 – but the key difference was that the winning margins were announced in favour of the deserving Bivol.
Beterbiev and Bivol are two of the most undemonstrative men in boxing and they both prefer fighting to talking. It seemed appropriate that Bivol, wearing a shimmering silver tunic, walked fast to the ring, occasionally stretching out a glove to touch the hands of admiring spectators. Beterbiev cut a more solemn figure, dressed in a plain black T-shirt and black trunks, as he marched resolutely down the same walkway.
After he was introduced by Michael Buffer, in the venerable MC’s typical style of honeyed gravitas, Bivol raised an arm in salute. Beterbiev simply jogged on the spot before matching Bivol’s gesture when his name was hollered to the rafters.
Chants of “Bi-vol, Bi-vol, Bi-vol” echoed around the arena as the tension cut deep. The two men tracked each other warily. Bivol was less aggressive than he had been at the start of their first fight – as part of a strategy to conserve his energy for the decisive later stages of the bout. The round ended with Beterbiev landing, but Bivol had been just a little more accurate in that opening stanza.
An obvious pattern soon emerged as Beterbiev stalked Bivol with raw aggression. He is a formidable presence but the implacable Bivol countered with sharp punches. Yet Beterbiev kept after him remorselessly as his own plan seemed to centre on bringing a real ferocity from the very start in an effort to drain Bivol of his clinical clarity and energy.
But Bivol is a fighter of great class and composure and, in the third, he clipped Beterbiev with slick combinations, as bunches of punches flew from him. Beterbiev responded and pounded Bivol to the body at the bell. He maintained the pace of his attack in the fourth and Bivol was forced to back away and concentrate on defence and self-preservation. There was little time, or room, for Bivol to counter amid the increasingly dark and threatening storm brought by Beterbiev.
A riveting fight had begun to unfold. There was a dip for Beterbiev as he gathered himself – but Bivol nailed him with slinky combinations and a hard and beautiful right hand. Such impudence fuelled Beterbiev and he finished the round strongly, landing a couple of heavy blows, including a damaging straight right which appeared to shake the challenger.
Bivol, having to absorb the harder punches, needed to maintain his discipline and nerve as they approached the halfway point of a gripping fight. He landed the more eye-catching flurries of punches and briefly negated Beterbiev’s relentless hostility.
Red markings were visible on Beterbiev’s forehead but, in round seven, he resumed his determined pursuit. Bivol could not allow himself to relax in the face of suffocating pressure but he still landed the more effective punches. The technician needed all his poise and skill to keep the marauding Beterbiev at bay – before Bivol connected with a shuddering right hook. His confidence flowed as, bouncing lightly on his toes, he kept snapping out the left jab. The fight had begun to sway his way again after winning two successive rounds, the eighth in especially impressive style.
In round nine, Bivol again held the initiative at the outset. He even made Beterbiev miss with a wild swing and then cracked him with four successive and unanswered punches in a row. It was turning into a Bivol masterclass as he oozed conviction.
Nine minutes, the true championship rounds, were left and the fight was still on a knife-edge because Beterbiev came out fast for the 10th. But Bivol managed to slow him with some crisp punches. The champion still stalked him but Bivol jabbed to the head and hit Beterbiev hard to the body. Bivol was then driven into a corner – but he fought back yet again.
The chant of ‘Bi-vol, Bi-vol, Bi-vol’ resumed in the 11th round and he caught Beterbiev with another peach of a right hand. Even as Beterbiev ratcheted up the intensity, Bivol refused to wilt.
Beterbiev’s corner told him he had to win the final round to have a chance to hold onto his world title and unbeaten record. Bivol, however, had trained too hard, and concentrated so fiercely for so long, to let victory slip away. He cracked Beterbiev with another trademark combination with less than a minute left. Beterbiev poured forward one last time, landing a withering left.
They were on their feet at ringside as these two extraordinary champions traded at the last bell. Bivol was cut above his swollen left eye and he needed immediate attention to stem the flow of blood. Beterbiev smiled ruefully as the gloves were removed and the sodden wraps were cut from his hands. It had been a searing contest and they awaited the final verdict.
The draw was announced first and Bivol looked pained. After the next two scorecards had been read out in favour of the winner, they had to pause yet again before Buffer yelled out the magic words of “and the new…!”
Bivol covered his face in relief and then raised his arms with exultation. He was in tears as the four belts were draped over his shoulders.
Asked to pinpoint the difference between the two marginal outcomes, Bivol smiled wearily. “Just me,” he said. “I was better. I was pushing myself more. I was more confident. I was lighter. I just wanted to win so much today. I just told myself that he could start from the beginning to distract me, to disturb me. It was hard, to be honest, to keep him at distance for the first four rounds. And then I saw that he’s tired also. I’m tired, but I have to be smarter. I have to punch more cleanly and I did.”
The inevitable query followed. Was he ready to face Beterbiev in the rubber match of an unforgettable trilogy? “I’m ready for any challenge,” Bivol said. “But I want a little bit of rest, because I had some injuries and I was using anti-inflammation [medication] almost the whole camp. I want a little bit of time to heal myself and come back.”
The defeated man was blunt. “I don’t want to talk about the decision,” Beterbiev snapped before, a little grudgingly, he added: “Congrats, Bivol [and] Bivol’s team…I think this fight was better than first fight, but now it’s my time to come back.”
Asked the same question as Bivol about a third bout, Beterbiev smouldered. “Actually I didn’t want the second fight. It wasn’t my choice. But no problem. We’re going to do a third fight.”
Beterbiev refused to shake Bivol’s hand before leaving the ring, his disappointment after the first loss of his career burning inside him. He jabbed his finger repeatedly in the direction of the new champion – in a clear sign that he wants the same kind of revenge which had left Bivol beaming in rapture.
After these two great fighters have recovered from such an intense and exhausting battle, a definitive conclusion to their simmering rivalry will be irresistible.
