1) The contrast of styles
Basically, what you have with Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is a meeting between arguably the toughest fighter on the planet and the smartest technician. To defeat one will probably require the skills of the other, and vice versa.
2) Elite skills
There are other important fights to take place this year, there is no doubt, but few will possess the absolute quality of Beterbiev vs. Bivol when it comes to skills. Together, they shoot every shot in the book with technical correctness and conviction unmatched by most of their peers.
3) Beterbiev’s age
Although it appears that Beterbiev, who will soon turn 39, is improving with age, and although some promoters who do not promote him will tell you that he is “superhuman” in an accusatory way, the reality is this: Beterbiev does not have much time left in the Upper level.
4) The irrelevance of Bivol
It’s depressing to think that since beating Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in what should have been his launching pad for bigger fights, Bivol has boxed only twice. Not only that, both fights have been in the Middle East (first against Gilberto Ramirez and then against Lyndon Arthur) and no one paid much attention to them.
Bivol arrests Lyndon Arthur in Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
5) Two Russians
It won’t be the plot that sells the fight in the United States, or anywhere else other than Russia, but it’s still an interesting part of what makes Beterbiev vs. Bivol is so necessary and surely inevitable.
6) Lack of other options
Of course, there are alternative routes that Beterbiev and Bivol can take, but it is now clear that there is a limit to operating this way and that the pair cannot continue fighting the likes of Callum Smith, Lyndon Arthur and Anthony Yarde for much longer.
7) The iron is hot
While one could argue that the timing of this fight was right after Bivol defeated Canelo Alvarez in 2022, it benefits no one to live with regrets. Now, in 2024, with both aware that they need each other to ensure an adequate legacy, the Beterbiev v. Bivol has never been older.
8) Beterbiev’s KO
They say records are meant to be broken and streaks are meant to be stopped, but until Artur Beterbiev faces an opponent who possesses the durability and versatile ability to keep him from knocking them out, it’s hard to see how or when his streak will break. of 20 consecutive stoppage victories will end.
Artur Beterbiev hits Callum Smith with a right hand (Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images)
9) The brilliance of Bivol
While Artur Beterbiev is an easy language to understand, the same cannot be said for Dmitry Bivol, who, despite his ridiculous talent, is a fighter who needs to be challenged for his style to make sense in the eyes of casual fans. .
10) Middle Eastern money
Make no mistake: the reason this fight and others like it are probably going to happen this year is because someone is finally willing to pay both fighters enough money to ignore their fears and put their egos aside. In the end it all comes down to nothing more than that.
Turki Al-Sheikh (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
