Followers is not going to see the undisputed mild heavyweight championship struggle this yr between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol due to the WBC’s ban on Russian fighters.
IBF/WBC/WBO 175-lb champion Beterbiev’s promoter Bob Arum says he gained’t push for the Beterbiev-Bivol struggle whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine is happening.
Arum says that the Russian-born Beterbiev now lives in Canada, so he sees him as being Canadian as a result of he’s been dwelling in that nation for the final 14 years.
Bivol was born in Kyrgyzstan and lives in Los Angeles, however for some motive, he’s seen as being Russian. It’s unclear why.
This might imply that these two fighters could by no means struggle as a result of the struggle may wind up being lengthy, protracted, lasting a few years, and the 38-year-old Beterbiev isn’t younger sufficient to stay round for an excessive amount of longer.
Arum’s resolution to not pursue making the Beterbiev-Bivol struggle is nice information for Canelo Alvarez as a result of it offers him extra negotiating energy to get his calls for met by Bivol for a rematch in September.
Now that Canelo is aware of that Bivol has no different viable choices in addition to combating him once more, he can get his means.
“I 100% assist Ukraine and its struggle in opposition to aggression, so I’m not going to push for a Bivol vs. Beterbiev struggle,” stated Bob Arum to 3 Knockdown Rule about his resolution to not push for the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol struggle this yr.
“It’s possible you’ll say, ‘Nicely, isn’t Beterbiev Russian?’ and the reply isn’t any, probably not. He has had a residential visa in Canada for fourteen years, so I take a look at him as being Canadian.”
It’s arguably a very good factor for Beterbiev that Arum isn’t going to insist on him combating Bivol as a result of it’s a nasty type match-up on paper. Bivol is a pure boxer with glorious footwork who’s not possible to hit cleanly.
Arum has been round lengthy sufficient to know what Beterbiev can be up in opposition to if he had been to struggle Bivol. Whereas he most likely wouldn’t be outboxed as we noticed with Canelo in his one-sided loss to Bivol, it nonetheless could possibly be dangerous for Beterbiev.
Beterbiev is defending in opposition to his WBC obligatory Callum Smith on August nineteenth. Assuming Beterbiev wins that, he could possibly be out of attention-grabbing opponents except Canelo strikes as much as 175 to problem him for his three titles.
To this point, Canelo has by no means proven any curiosity in combating Beterbiev, and that’s not more likely to change. Beterbiev hits too laborious, and he’s not somebody that can cruise in opposition to Canelo the best way Bivol did final yr.
