The ledger shows 1-1. Last October, powering his way through the championship rounds, Artur Beterbiev secured the historic light heavyweight undisputed championship. But the brief interlude perhaps undid his game; for they helped Dmitry Bivol upend his. On Saturday night, after winning the initial rounds, as the rematch with Beterbiev rang in the mid-rounds, Bivol lost steam. For a moment it appeared the headliner at ‘The Last Crescendo’ will be a ‘IV Crown’ doppelganger. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
The championship rounds – a disciplined Bivol matched Beterbiev’s thundering power with his technical finesse. The Kyrgyz-Russian boxer convinced at least two of the judges why he deserved the win. Given the hints dropped by HE Turki Alalshikh, it appears the two world-class boxers might be in for a trilogy. For the fans, that’s the cherry on top. But there are divisional side effects. David Benavidez was ringside at the Kingdom Arena. In the pecking order, the February 1 win over David Morrell pivoted a face-off with the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch winner. A fight with either means Benavidez could become the 175-pound’s new undisputed champion. But given how things are turning up, he might have to show a bit of patience.
Cracking the code for ‘The Mexican Monster’
Eddie Hearn is on cloud nine. Star charge Dmitry Bivol has created history. But he has more than one reason for his delight. Shakur Stevenson silenced critics with his thumping rout of the Yorkshireman Josh Padley. But much before, it was Callum Smith‘s performance against Joshua Buatsi that set the internet on fire.
A nail-biting thriller saw the two Brits pull off a modern-day classic. From start to finish, it was a back-and-forth slugfest. Just when it appeared that things were going south, ‘Mundo’ turned the tides and defeated Buatsi in a unanimous victory. Following the losses to ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and later Beterbiev, many felt that the Liverpudlian’s career was as good as over.
Commencing with last November’s fifth-round knockout of Carlos Galvan, Smith proved the great Yogi Berra right – ‘It ain’t over till it’s over.’ Now with the victory over Buatsi, ‘Mundo’ has himself back on track as well.
Among the potential matchups suggested, one that appears to have caught the fancy of many appears to be with David Benavidez. Speaking with the Ring Magazine’s Louis Hart, Eddie Hearn called Callum Smith’s performance ‘incredible’ and a ‘stunning victory.’ The reporter asked the obvious, “Benavidez was at ringside; would you look at Callum Smith Benavidez?”
“For sure, yeah, you know Benavidez wants the biggest fights in the sport, but him against Callum Smith is another great fight, and you know we’re sitting there nice and pretty with all the belts at 175,” replied the Matchroom boss.
Does destiny decree David Benavidez vs. Dmitry Bivol?
Speaking at the ‘Uncrowned Post-Fight Show,’ eminent boxing journalist Keith Idec conjectured the scenario. Benavidez is in line to fight the winner of Bivol vs. Beterbiev. But since there’s a trilogy planned, he will have to wait longer for his title shot.
So while waiting, he might take an interim fight instead of sitting on the sidelines for too long. According to Idec, due to injuries and the quick turnaround between his last fights, Bivol may need an extended break. The next big fight (Bivol vs. Beterbiev III) could happen in fall 2025, with the winner facing Benavidez in early 2026.
After the Morrell victory, while summarizing his next course of action, Benavidez spilled the tea – he wanted Dmitry Bivol to win the rematch. He and Bivol had sparred in the past. So if he succeeds in defeating Bivol, then his argument for calling out ‘Canelo’ will be strong since Bivol had defeated the Mexican icon back in 2022.
Do you also think that the Callum Smith-David Benavidez matchup will make for a great fight?
The post Left With No Choice, David Benavidez Gets a Lifeline as Artur Beterbiev Seeks Dmitry Bivol Revenge appeared first on EssentiallySports.
