by “This is becoming one of the greatest fights ever to happen in boxing,” says Bivol’s promoter.
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Ten rounds while we wonder as this weekend brings us one step closer to Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II.
10. How important is the undisputed title for Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol? That’s probably what will determine whether this fight happens in 2023 or not at all. After his knockout win over Anthony Yarde last weekend, Beterbiev has called for a reckoning with Bivol.
“I want Bivol,” Beterbiev said. “Right now, that’s everything. We’ll have four belts in that fight. I think it’s a really good fight.”
in a statement SI, Bivol supporter Vadim Kornilov says Bivol is eager to fight. “This is becoming one of the greatest fights ever to happen in boxing,” says Kornilov. “They’ve cleared the distinction between the two and there are no more intriguing matches out there. Let’s make it happen.”
There is no doubt that Beterbiev-Bivol is an important fight. However, it faces multiple problems. Timing is one. Beterbiev, who is a Muslim, will celebrate Ramadan between mid-March and mid-April and will postpone his next challenge until summer. Bivol prefers to fight earlier with a possible rematch with Canelo Alvarez in September.
Then there is money. Beterbiev-Bivol is a big fight. But this is not a money war. Bivol earned nearly $5 million in each of his last two fights, defeating Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez. He will expect at least this much, and even more, to face Beterbiev. Similarly, Beterbiev will expect a low seven-figure purse to jeopardize their title against Bivol.
The truth is the money is not there. Not in the US, where neither is a major draw. Not in Canada, where Beterbiev lives and trains. A Beterbiev-Bivol fight would draw a strong crowd in Montreal, but the live gate wouldn’t come close to providing the money needed to support that fight. And no matter how good a fight it is, it dies on pay-per-view. And no major conflict will be allowed in Russia as long as it is at war with Ukraine.
The best chance for Beterbiev-Bivol to happen is for a Middle Eastern country like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates to step in and pay the bill. They previously owned; The Saudis played two games with Anthony Joshua and Bivol defended his title against Gilberto Ramirez in Abu Dhabi last year. Maybe a Beterbiev-Bivol fight will interest them.
If not, there will be no fight. Not at 23 and maybe never will be. Beterbiev is likely heading for a mandatory title defense against former 168-pound champion Callum Smith. Kornilov and Golden Boy officials discussed the Bivol-Jaime Munguia fight, an attractive US show. This is a disappointing but unfortunate fact of business.
9. Sources say Gilberto Ramirez and Gabriel Rosado are moving towards a deal for the duo to meet in the light heavyweight match in March SI. Ramirez (44-1) returns with a decisive defeat to Dmitry Bivol last November. Rosado (26-16-1) has lost three games in a row since his upset victory over Bektemir Melikuzievin in 2021 and will make his debut in the light heavyweight division. Rosado, 37, is retraining with Freddie Roach for this fight and believes reuniting with Roach will prepare him for the sound that punches Ramirez.
“I know Zurdo very well,” says Rosado. “We’ve fired each other for the last 4 years. He was my main training partner when I beat him. [Melikuziev]. He’s a great champion, a strong, big man. It’s just one of those fights where I’ve seen the drama. I see the action in these kinds of fights. It’s one of those fights where I know I have to give my best. I can’t do it halfway. I feel like now is the time to fight him.”
8. Optimism remains that contracts may be completed soon for the anticipated showdown between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank” Davis, sources say SI. However, both sides have faced a hurdle over the past few days that requires additional work. A source close to Garcia said SI the ongoing issue was tied to a rematch clause. Both parties continue to work in the hope that they can resolve the issue in the next few days.
Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya said of Davis’ hit-and-run trial, which is scheduled to begin in mid-February: SI He made sure that the outcome would not affect the timing of the fight.
“I don’t know the details of the case,” De La Hoya says. “But we made sure everything was going to be okay. We made sure the green light was on. Ryan Garcia-Gervonta Davis will be on April 15th.pearl”
7. Speaking of Davis-Garcia, I was told that both fighters are enrolled in the Volunteer Anti-Doping Program. According to a letter from VADA, Garcia was tested on January 5th with a sample that came back negative. SI. Garcia and her trainer, Joe Goossen, moved from southern California to Miami to prepare for this fight.
6. Deontay Wilder needs to stop. In a recent interview with ESNews, Wilder was asked about a prediction about the planned heavyweight title merge fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. “It’s a 50-50 fight for me,” Wilder said. “You never know until you get in there. Depends on who will cheat the most. It depends on who gets to cheat more.”
Wilder’s comments are embarrassing. Since his first loss to Fury, he has sunk into a conspiracy-ridden rabbit hole, accusing Fury of breaking his gloves and mixing his own trainer, Mark Breland, with his drink. Now he’s attacking Usyk, a former Olympic gold medalist with no history of cheating. I’ve spent a lot of time with Wilder over the years. I’ve been to Alabama. I had long interviews with him. SI offices in New York. I have always seen him as a man of high character. But it’s under him and if it continues he will find his own reputation irrevocably tarnished.
5. If you need more evidence that the enforcement bodies are corrupt or incompetent, look at the WBA’s December welterweight rankings. Sitting in 14th place was George Ashie, a fringe junior welterweight contender who had once tackled over 140 pounds before his knockout loss to Alexis Rocha last Saturday. Rocha, a career middleweight with a five-game winning streak towards a fight with Ashie, was not in the WBA standings. This is an inexplicable and untenable decision that should tell you how much stock you should put in these ratings.
4. Amanda Serrano will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first undisputed champion – male or female – when she challenges Erika Cruz for the 126-pound supremacy. However, the risk is even greater, at least financially: Serrano and Katie Taylor’s reps are approaching a deal for Taylor and Serrano to meet in a rematch this spring. Alycia Baumgardner, who will fight for the undisputed 130-pound title on the Serrano-Cruz bottom card if Taylor-Serrano can’t be finalized, is the leading contender to face Taylor.
3. WBC chairman Mauricio Sulaiman, speaking of the abusive behavior of the enforcement bodies, told reporters this week that Bivol should apply for an exemption if he wants to face Beterbiev for the WBC belt. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the WBC banned fighters from Russia and Belarus from fighting for all their titles.
This, of course, is absurdly hypocritical. beterbiev is is Russian. He has dual citizenship in Canada but was born in Dagestan and has represented Russia throughout his amateur career. The idea that he is less Russian because he lives in the Montreal area is absurd. According to the WBC’s logic, if Bivol goes out and becomes a citizen of Fiji, for example, it would be obvious for him to fight for a WBC belt. Or if it leans on Korean heritage. Hypocrisy is infuriating.
2. Shout out to Tom Loeffler, who has quickly become one of the best club show organizers in boxing. Loeffler grabbed one of his hands. Hollywood Fight Night cards at the Quiet Cannon Country Club in Montebello, California last weekend and it was awesome. Once defeated, 154-pound competitor Serhii Bohachuk defeated Nathaniel Gallimore by knockout in the main event of a competitive card. Club shows are the lifeblood of boxing; this is where young fighters can stay active, build a resume and most importantly earn money. Loeffler and Lou DiBella, who have been performing club shows in New York for years, are two of the best in the business.
If you missed the David Benavidez-Caleb Factory press conference on Thursday 1. You missed a lot. There is no lost love between Benavidez and Plant, PBC barn friends who have been circling each other for years. Plant has made numerous references to cocaine use – a not-so-thin punch to Benavidez after he tested positive for cocaine in 2018, which resulted in him being stripped of the super middleweight title – while security kept Benavidez moving forward at Plant. stopped twice. podium. This fight has been ticketed to March 25pearl Showtime is on Pay Per View and it’s going to be a good one. It also makes sense: The winner will have a compelling argument to face the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in the second half of the 23rd or the first half of next year.
