Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol ready for a generational showdown

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight championship all set for 2024

Boxing fans have long craved a light heavyweight undisputed championship showdown between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. This dream match-up is close to becoming reality, and is set to take place on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

These two men have dominated the light-heavyweight division in recent years.

In their most recent outings, Bivol came off the shelf of inactivity to outclass Lyndon Arthur to retain his WBA title with a shutout decision victory, and Beterbiev defended his WBC, IBF and WBO titles, serving a patient, methodical beatdown of Callum Smith, which culminated in a seventh round stoppage.

Beterbiev and Bivol have separated themselves from a pack of contenders. Now, they have nowhere else to go but against one another.

Beterbiev vs Bivol is one of those tantalising match-ups between two elite champions in a clash of styles. One of them is relentless and arguably the hardest hitting fighter on the planet, against arguably the smartest technician out there. For one to be defeated, presumably requires the skillset of the other.

Except, these are generational champions. They don’t just box one way. Beterbiev, the wrecking ball, possesses the footwork, control of distance, educated pressure, calmness and high work-rate to be a genuinely great boxer, and Bivol, the technician, has underrated power and the versatility to adapt to different opponents and situations.

20 men have tried to survive Beterbiev’s punishment and onslaught, and none have been successful. It is a scary fact, and one that adds to the fearsome reputation and aura of the humble destroyer. Records are there to be broken, and streaks are there to be halted, yet until Beterbiev faces an opponent who has the all-round ability and durability to prevent him from knocking them out, it is difficult to envisage his run of 20 straight stoppage wins coming to an end.

Bivol is the only man in the 175 lbs division that conceivably has the capability to stop Beterbiev’s reign of terror. The Russian’s perfect balance, footwork, conditioning, output, consistency, jab, defence and accuracy completely nullified the then pound-for-pound king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, amongst everybody else he has faced. Bivol may arguably have the best control of range and distance since Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Beterbiev has eight successful title defences since becoming champion in November 2017, defeating the likes of Callum Johnson, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Marcus Browne, Joe Smith Jr, Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith. Bivol has eleven successful title defences,  also since November 2017, beating the likes of Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal, Joe Smith Jr, Craig Richards, Canelo, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Lyndon Arthur.

Beterbiev and Bivol have defended their titles against a host of contenders, each doing so using their own elite skillset, and the winner of this undisputed showdown can place himself in the pantheon of light-heavyweight all time greats like Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore and Bob Foster.

In terms of match-ups against other great light-heavyweights in modern history, how many can you name that you feel would confidently defeat Beterbiev and/or Bivol? Beterbiev’s  uber-aggression and power could have been overwhelming for many, and Bivol’s trickiness could have been a difficult puzzle to solve too.

There are other huge fights to be made in 2024, but very few, if any, will possess the quality of Beterbiev vs Bivol when it comes to skills. Together, they throw every punch in the book with technical precision and conviction unmatched by the majority of their peers.

Beterbiev’s style is easily understood. Demolition. Bivol’s style is one that can only truly make sense in the eyes of the casual audience once he is challenged. Otherwise, he just handily deals with opponents without having to get out of first gear. Bivol is not concerned with aesthetics. Only winning, and his technical mastery has made him an expert at winning.

Furthermore, Beterbiev is now 39. Judging by his destruction job on Callum Smith, it seems he is getting better with age, and in almost accusatory fashion, rival promoters have referred to him as “not human”. However, the reality is that Beterbiev’s days at the top level are limited. There was not long left for this fight to fulfil its immense potential whilst both elite combatants are at their best, and it is now finally happening.

The timing is equally handy for Bivol too. Since his mightily impressive domination of Canelo in May 2022, in a fight which should have acted as a launchpad to bigger fights, Bivol has only fought twice in fights which did not garner much attention.

Both men need each other to secure a proper legacy, and the demand for this fight has never been greater.

In 2016, Iran Barkley said: “I had to go through everyone in my career. I never had any easy fights. Not ever. These guys today, they have a walkthrough – it’s so easy for them.”

In 2024, that is far from the truth for Beterbiev and Bivol. These two men will be fighting for all of the marbles, with history and greatness at stake too, and there will be nothing easy for either man as they face a fellow generational champion.