Opinions and Observations: Beterbiev-Bivol 2

At first the rematch played out as the 13th round of their October fight. Artur Beterbiev applied relentless pressure, stepping on the gas, digging jabs and right hands to the body, and making Dmitry Bivol burn off a lot of energy trying to be evasive. Beterbiev was determined to leave no doubt as to whom rightfully deserved the victory in their first bout (Beterbiev won that by majority decision).  

But then two things changed the trajectory of the fight. Beterbiev abandoned his body work and Bivol decided to spend less time in retreat. By the sixth round Bivol started to really sit down on his punches. He also threw more in combination. 

The second half of the fight featured the best work that Bivol did in the match. When Beterbiev attacked at close range, Bivol was often masterful at hitting him on the way in and spinning out before Beterbiev could land anything of substance. I thought that Bivol's defense on the inside was better than it was in October; I believe that his temperament had changed as well. On Saturday he was in no mood to f$@* around and find out on the inside. He had learned that lesson in their first fight. 

Bivol (left) jabbing Beterbiev
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

In a sense, the rematch was a mirror image of their October bout, where Bivol opened well and then Beterbiev took over in the second half. On Saturday it was Beterbiev who started in the ascendency, but it was Bivol's superior boxing that won him a lot of rounds in the back half of the fight. And like their first bout, the fighter who was better in the second half wound up winning by majority decision. Here it was Bivol by 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 (the same exact scores for Beterbiev in the first bout). 

So perhaps Saturday's fight may be seen as a reversal, but to me the final result was the exact same. I had both bouts even, with the acknowledgment that Bivol or Beterbiev could have been awarded either fight. From my perspective, they have fought 24 rounds and I've yet to see a conclusive victor. 

I enjoyed the rematch more than their first fight. To me I thought that Beterbiev gave up too many early rounds in October by not letting his hands go. He was too casual in starting the fight. I also believe that Bivol made some poor tactical decisions in the first fight, especially when trying to mix it up with Beterbiev on the inside. 

Saturday's fight wasn't about giving rounds away. From that perspective, the fight was more satisfying. Each fighter was contesting every round. However, Beterbiev, to my surprise, couldn't sustain pressure for 12 rounds. Bivol also made fewer mistakes in the rematch. The fight didn't start his way, but he was able to right the ship. He spent very little time along the ropes, and he was also more defensively aware. Yes, he got cracked by some big shots, but he avoided those devastating short counters that Beterbiev detonated in the first fight. As a result, he spent less of the rematch in survival mode. More importantly, he didn't let rounds slip away after having them won, like he did in their first fight. 

Although Bivol's lows were fewer in the rematch, I also don't believe that his highs were as good as the first fight, where he had sustained dominance through large portions of the bout. There were points of October's match where he was legitimately piecing up Beterbiev, as if they didn't belong in the same ring together. In the rematch, Bivol avoided calamity, but he was also more judicious in opening up. Perhaps that was a smarter play. Ultimately, it was enough to get the job done, officially at least, but I still observed an abundance of caution from him, especially in the first five rounds in the fight. 

But even if you believe that Bivol did enough to win on Saturday, there can be no dispute that he got cracked in the 12th and had one of his worst rounds of the fight. So, when he could have really needed the final round, he still didn't take it. Consequently, he had to rely on the judges and sweat it out. Two of the judges liked his work enough, and that carried the day. 

So now we've had two "undisputed" fights between Beterbiev and Bivol and yet I feel that both fights are disputed. It's clear to me that this will be the two-headed monster era of Beterbiev/Bivol at light heavyweight. Both fights were so close that who won bout one or bout two is almost immaterial to me. Now that's not a bad thing; it just shows that the two fighters have similar talent levels.

I'd give Saturday's fight an 8/10, whereas the first for me was closer to a 7/10. There were fewer mistakes, fewer regrets. I still believe that the fighters themselves are better than the fights that they have produced. At his heart, Bivol is a neutralizer. If he's in a fight of the year, then something went really badly for him. He's not one who's seeking out a war. He remains a complicated puzzle, where only Beterbiev, officially, has been able to solve it. Or at least that's what the judges told me. The officials have it one a piece. I have yet to find a winner. 

These are compelling fighters, among the best of their era, but they have sized each other up and at best have found small margins over 24 rounds to give each a nominal leg up in a pair of fights. They have tried their best, but to me I couldn't tell you which one has been better. I'd like to see them get inducted to Canastota together.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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Beterbiev-Bivol 2: Preview and Prediction

Before we address Saturday's undisputed light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs), let's try to understand what exactly happened during their first fight in October. After 12 rounds, opinion was split as to who won. The judges awarded the fight to Beterbiev via a majority decision, 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114, but it seemed like for every person who had Beterbiev winning, there was someone who thought that Bivol deserved it. (I scored the fight a draw.)

What made the fight so difficult to score were two distinct dynamics: 1. There were a few inconsequential rounds in the beginning of the fight where not a ton happened (the third round was a great example of this). Bivol was busier, but Beterbiev landed a couple of eye-catching shots. 2. There were two rounds (the seventh and the tenth) where Bivol was dominating the action, then got countered in the last 30 seconds, and was visibly hurt by the end of the round. Those rounds were the definition of "what you like." Should Bivol's dominance through most of the round be rewarded or does Beterbiev's significant damage in the last few seconds carry it? 

Their October fight fell into a gray area of boxing scoring, where the judges' cards were defensible, but legitimate differences of opinion could be warranted based on the action, or, at times, inaction of the bout. In my opinion, there were a possible eight rounds to give to Beterbiev and there were eight rounds where a judge could give it to Bivol. There were that many swing rounds in the fight.

Beterbiev (left) and Bivol trading in October
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Now this takes us to Saturday. What are the lessons learned for each fighter? For Beterbiev, it's obvious: Don't start as slowly. It's clear that Beterbiev, who had previously knocked out every opponent prior to Bivol, was concerned about the pacing of the fight. Having never gone 12 before, he wanted to make sure that he had enough in the tank in the second half of the fight. He wound up certainly having the juice at the end and dominated the championship rounds, but he definitely gave up some early rounds by not being busy enough. 

For the rematch, Beterbiev needs to bring the heat from the opening bell. Beterbiev now knows that he can hurt Bivol. He must apply maximum pressure and ferocity on Saturday. Yes, he escaped with the victory in October, but it could have gone the other way.

For Bivol, he has one adjustment to make. I believe that he lost the fight on the scorecards by being too greedy. I was shocked to see him bring the action to Beterbiev on the inside, and it was to his detriment. For Bivol, it was not enough to win rounds; he wanted to dominate. I thought that Bivol would play safety-first. But that's not what happened. As he unloaded on Beterbiev on the inside, he got countered by short, hard shots that did significant damage. And in an instant, all the good work that Bivol did earlier in those rounds was chucked in the bin. He went from having the upper hand to being in survival mode in the blink of an eye. 

There was an arrogance from Bivol that I didn't anticipate. But maybe I wasn't looking closely enough. In Bivol's signature win earlier in his career, against Canelo, the same pattern played out, minus the big counters. Bivol did very well on the outside. However, Bivol wasn't content just to play it safe. He took it to Canelo on the inside as well, as several of the middle rounds were spent with Bivol teeing off on Canelo, who had his back to the ropes. 

We like to think of Bivol as this machine-like, robotic boxer. But in big fights it's clear that his ego does play a part. He wants to dominate his opponent, embarrass him. Bivol wants the world to see his greatness. 

For Bivol to win on Saturday, he's going to have to swallow a bitter pill. He must box from mid-range or at a distance and he can't take chances on the inside. And he's going to have to stick to this pattern for 12 rounds. Yes, we've seen him do this against lesser opponents, but I'm not sure if he can sell himself on this approach against Beterbiev. After all, Bivol, like many others, believes that he won the first fight; it was the judges' problem, not his. 

My pick for Saturday is Beterbiev by knockout. I didn't pick Beterbiev to win the first fight and I don't believe that he won it either. But I think that his adjustment is more straight-forward. Artur, go to Bivol earlier. Ok, he says. And he does it. He knows he can hurt Bivol. He just needs to give himself more of the fight to work with. It's not going to be one shot that ends the bout, but sustained pressure and damage over time. 

I don't believe that Bivol can make it through 12 rounds against a Beterbiev who is determined to apply pressure from round one. Beterbiev now knows he can go 12. He has seen the best that Bivol can offer. It wasn't Beterbiev who was getting hurt. Bivol is going to have to keep the ego in check and yet still do enough to stay upright, stay off the canvas, and win rounds against a foe who is determined to finish him. I think it's too tall of an order. I'll take Beterbiev by late stoppage. 

Artur Beterbiev defeats Dmitry Bivol by 11th-round stoppage. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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Opinions and Observations: Benavidez-Morrell

For all of David Morrell's amateur success, knockouts in the pros, and athletic talent, it was clear as early as the first round that he wasn't prepared for what David Benavidez had to offer on Saturday night. The first significant blows that Benavidez landed were lead right hooks that looped around Morrell's high guard and hit him squarely on the side of the head. Now those aren't traditional punches for an orthodox fighter to throw; still, there's a lot of tape on Benavidez and the right hooks weren't exactly a surprise. Yet, Morrell's defense was lacking. 

As the rounds continued, Benavidez landed repeatedly with two-punch combinations where the first shot of the sequence was a throwaway punch only for the second one to land with maximum force. He executed this often with the left hook/right hook to the body and the straight right/left hook to the body. Here again, Morrell didn't have the ability to defend himself properly. 

Benavidez (right) lands an uppercut
Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

But it wasn't all one-way traffic for Benavidez in the fight. On multiple occasions, Morrell caught Benavidez with a short right hook as Benavidez was coming in. He stunned Benavidez with the punch in the 4th and dropped him in the 11th with it. Morrell also found moments to explode off the ropes with quick combinations that were able to temporarily quell Benavidez's momentum. 

However, most of the fight consisted of Benavidez pressing forward and causing damage with his wide array of punches. His weapons were manifold: jab, left hook, right hook, straight right, left uppercut, right uppercut, body punches, and combinations. He had every punch available at his disposal. 

To Morrell's credit, he took a lot of punishment in the fight yet never stopped trying. He fought well in the championship rounds and put forth a spirited effort. There were multiple times in the fight where he was being battered, yet he summoned the fortitude to fire off massive power shots at Benavidez. Morrell was being beaten, but he refused to act like a beaten fighter. 

Benavidez won the fight by a unanimous decision, 115-111, 115-111 and 118-108. The funky scores could be explained by Morrell losing a point in the 11th for hitting Benavidez well after the final bell had rung in the round. I had it 116-110. 

Although this fight was not for a major light heavyweight title, it turned out to be a coming out party for Benavidez. In a raucous T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Benavidez put on a star-making performance. Although facing an undefeated fighter with considerable hype, Benavidez established his supremacy quickly. The crowd ate it up. They loved his power punching, his spite, his come-forward aggression, his showmanship, and his willingness to mix it up. 

It's been an incremental build for Benavidez, but now at the age of 28 and with a pristine 30-0 record with 24 knockouts, it's clear that he has become a significant draw in the sport. And although two long-time elite fighters, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, also reside in the 175-lb. division, Benavidez and his supporters will like their chances against anyone. 

What's often been forgotten about Benavidez is his considerable boxing education. Many will comment on his size, his pressure and his offensive output, but there is much more to him in the ring. Turning pro well before his 18th birthday, sparring the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Bivol and Gilberto Ramirez, coming from a fighting family, Benavidez has amassed a collection of unusual skills and talents that make him formidable in the ring. 

As a big man, he is just as comfortable fighting on the inside as he is at range. Often, he prefers to dish out damage in close quarters. Although he's known as an aggressor in the ring, he can spring traps if he is being pursued. 

Despite what may appear to some as sloppy footwork, he routinely cuts off the ring on supposedly superior athletes, like Morrell, Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. Saturday's fight against Morrell also showed how successful he is at keeping an opponent in his wheelhouse. He'll use his arms to push an opponent back into place. He'll hold an opponent's head and hit (an illegal maneuver, but he gets away with it). He'll also use his body to close off exit routes, which he did multiple times against Morrell. Benavidez used his left shoulder to block Morrell from exiting to his own right side (his preferred route), which allowed Benavidez to continue to do damage at close range. 

Benavidez has punches from every range. After throwing long right hooks from distance on Saturday, he then shortened up his right to land straight down the middle. In close he threw sickening body shots and left uppercuts. At mid-range, he landed consistently with his jab and short right hands. 

Another aspect of Benavidez that is often overlooked is his defense. Along with Canelo, Benavidez may be the best in boxing at blocking shots with his arms while pressing forward. He doesn't lose his aggression, positioning or intent when facing incoming fire. In that he likes exchanges, he will get hit at times, but he was the one with the far superior defense on Saturday. 

Benavidez with his team
Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

As for Morrell, there was a lot to like about his intangibles during the fight. Facing by far the best opponent of his career, he refused to wilt. And despite almost all his pro fights consisting of quick stoppages, Morrell displayed a spirited effort in the closing rounds. The fight had not been beaten out of him. 

However, Morrell's defense just wasn't good enough on Saturday. Benavidez landed 40% of his shots in the fight and most of those weren't love taps. Morrell was getting hit by thunder. Although Morrell's starting hand positioning was usually sound, his defensive reflexes weren't quick enough to block Benavidez's attacks. Furthermore, he didn't have the intuitive understanding in how to make defensive adjustments during the fight. Yes, Benavidez can throw a kitchen sick at an opponent, but there was never a point in the fight where Morrell was successful at taking away a weapon or two; more often Benavidez behaved in the ring like he could throw and land anything that he wanted. 

On offense Morrell needs to broaden his skillset. He's perfectly fine coming forward or exploding with a quick combination. However, Morrell ignored Benavidez's body throughout the fight, which demonstrated either a lack of skills or confidence with this part of his game. Morrell's jab was also a non-factor in the fight. And perhaps most importantly, Morrell needs to understand how to win slower rounds. He prefers to fight in a frenetic style, but as Saturday showed, against world-class opponents, more is needed. He wasn't setting up shots. He was not clinching to buy time. He was not using his legs like he could have. He wasn't cagey. He wanted to win firefight exchanges, but he was clearly second best in that category. 

In a perfect world, Morrell would have had better development fights prior to Benavidez. But to Morrell's credit, he took the challenge, and now his team can make a real assessment about what they have and what they need to improve upon going forward. This experience was infinitely more important in Morrell's long-term development than additional early-round knockouts against substandard opposition. 

As for Benavidez, I believe that he's reached another echelon in the sport. Yes, there are threats out there and he could certainly lose, but he has the fight style, talent and charisma to take boxing fans on a wonderful journey. His fights guarantee action, power punching, high degrees of skill and the type of fearlessness that reminds fans why they love the sport. If he can stay focused out-of-the ring, he could have a spectacular run over the next five years. 

With the dearth of American boxing stars at the moment, Benavidez will be asked to carry a lot of water for the sport. But I think this is exactly where he wants to be. He sees himself as a star. He believes that he is among boxing's best. He knows that now is his time. And it could be quite a time for all of us.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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