After Dmitry Bival halted the Canelo train with a comfortable and dominant 20th win from 20 fights in May to retain his WBA title. And Artur Beterbiev destroyed Joe Smith Jr in two rounds, to make it 18 stoppages from 18 fights, to add the WBO title to his WBC and IBF titles.
There is naturally only one fight to make in this division.
Over the past 24 months or so, boxing has stepped its game up and although there are still many issues and irritants that plague the sport. To its credit, we have been treated to some real spectacles, and stories where we witnessed top-class clashes and performances.
To add to boxing’s recent elevation, over the past two years, we have gone from four undisputed male boxing champions to eight.
From three undisputed champions in the woman’s game to six, including Claressa Shields doing it twice in 2019 and 2021.
This has no doubt helped the sport as most fans’ main gripe is too many champions in one division, something that Floyd Mayweather has voiced his dissatisfaction about the sport in the past, as well as, in recent weeks.
However, there has never been a light heavyweight undisputed champion. There have been several boxers to unify the light heavyweight belts and be recognised as the no1 in the division, but no boxer has made history and held all four belts at the same time.
Although the light heavyweight division has had some illustrious fighters over the years’ who won titles.
Often it has been the forgotten division or the division boxers past their prime have moved up to continue their legacy and pick up a few more belts.
Names such as Roy Jones Jr, Andre Ward and Bernard Hopkins who were all inducted into the boxing hall of fame recently, have shed a little stardust on this division over the years.
But all the eyes of the sport could well be fixed on this once forgotten division. It is surely their time to shine and make light heavyweight history.
The groundwork has already been done, the journey has already been set and the hard work completed. The build-up writes itself. All that’s left is for the necessary parties to come together, and sign the ting.
What makes this fight so intriguing is the fact that it’s a fight that has been talked about for some time.
Both these Russian fighters have been on a collision course for several years, and I am just happy they both decided to take the journey they have. As it has taken this fight to a huge level to decide the undisputed light heavyweight king.
It’s the classic irresistible force against the irremovable object. As stated earlier, Beterbiev has been a champion since 2017 and boasts a fearsome one-of-a-kind record, stopping all 18 of his opponents.
This is including Tavoris Cloud in two rounds and Callum Johnson in four rounds.
He stopped hard punching knockout artist Oleksandr Gvozdyk, the man who ended Adonis Stevenson’s career in ten rounds after being behind on the scorecards.
He also stopped Marcus Browne in nine rounds and as stated earlier, this past weekend he recently made light work of Joe Smith Jr, the man who finished Bernard Hopkins’ career.
Dmitry Bivol has his unique path. He’s not the same big puncher as Beterbiev, but more of a strong and overwhelming boxer.
Although Joe Smith Jr and Jean Pascal took him to points, he was hardly ever troubled and on top throughout. However, his coming-out fight came just last month when Canelo moved up to make history.
After Canelo dethroned former light heavyweight king Sergey Kovalev, stopping him in the 11th round. Many were looking past Bivol, he was the heavy underdog in the fight.
But he made a mockery of the bookies as he won in relatively and surprisingly easy fashion against Canelo, to make everyone sit up and take notice.
Going into the fight, I believe Beterbiev’s record will make him the favourite. However, Bivol has been the underdog on more than one occasion and he’s still undefeated.
The slightly taller man, Bivol will try to use his slick boxing ability to smother and keep Berterbiev off his rhythm.
Whereas, Beterbiev will want to impose his will as early as possible and not allow Bivol to get into a rhythm, then unleash that power.
Although Beterbiev is the slight favourite in my eyes, you can make a case for both. Bivol is a boxer and showed what he is capable of when he came up against Canelo.
Although his size was a big factor, he showed how good he is as a boxer when Canelo tried to use his slick boxing. Beterbiev is known to rely on his power.
Well, why wouldn’t you when you have stopped every opponent? But he was behind on two of the three scorecards when he stopped Gvozdyk.
Those are the small margins Bivol will take into the fight. In fights like these, which are potentially as close as this, it’s the small margins that make all the difference.
However, Beterbiev will say that 18 have tried and 18 have fallen. He may also say that Bivol has not faced such a devastating puncher as him.
It all leads to a potentially thrilling encounter and build-up. If this fight didn’t already have everything, there is also patriotic pride, with both fighters being Russian and representing Russia in the amateurs.
Although now Bivol identifies as being from Kyrgyzstan, and Beterbiev is now Russian Canadian.
This is a fight that has to happen. It’s the only fight in the light heavyweight division, and with all the recent undisputed champions crowned in boxing.
This is a fight that needs to happen, to crown yet another undisputed champion in this era. History awaits gentlemen, its time to step into the limelight and fulfil your destiny.
