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

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook  

Opinions and Observations: Beterbiev-Bivol

After Saturday's Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol match, which was more interesting than exciting, neither fighter seemed too pleased with his performance. Beterbiev, who was awarded the victory by majority decision, claimed that he didn't box particularly well, which is important because the fight primarily featured boxing instead of brawling or power displays. Bivol might have thought that he won, but he was resigned to accepting the judges' scores. He understood how tough the fight was. 

I scored the fight a draw. That's how it played out round-by-round on my scorecard and I thought that the draw reflected the action (or inaction) of the entire fight. To me the match was a perfect example of a stalemate, where neither fighter was able to assert himself on a consistent-enough basis. 

Beterbiev (right) and Bivol exchanging
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

But this will not be a rant at the scores, which were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112, with the latter two scores favoring Beterbiev, who became the "undisputed" light heavyweight champion with the win. I used the quotes in the previous sentence because technically Beterbiev is undisputed now, but I'm certainly not sure that he won Saturday's fight.

The bout featured plenty of swing rounds, ones were not a ton happened (the third round) and others that had consequential action from both (the seventh). A whole range of scores were acceptable in scoring the fight, but I would have preferred it if more rounds contained real drama, instead of the familiar "someone had to win it" refrain. 

I was surprised by the tactics of both, and not necessarily in a positive way. I thought that Beterbiev was a little too slow to start applying pressure. At 39, he fought like he had some concerns with his gas tank. Although he was the fighter who closed stronger, that might be because he really conserved energy in the fight's first half. And I will have none of the talk that he paced himself perfectly, because when the final scores were announced, I don't believe that he could confidently believe that he won. That there was doubt speaks to the questionable success of his tactics. 

To Bivol's credit or detriment, he fought far more aggressively than I expected. Until the championship rounds, he spent almost as much of the fight on the front foot as he did in retreat. In fact, Bivol might have paid the price for being too aggressive. When he finally unloaded with gripping combinations, he often found a hard counter shot in return that stopped him in his tracks. I think in particular that happened in the 7th and 10th rounds. 

In a theme that appears often in boxing, the fighter who was more aggressive was given a lot of credit, irrespective of how effective he was. Beterbiev was clearly the one who came forward on a more consistent basis in the final three rounds. I thought that the 10th was a toss-up which I shaded to Bivol, but I had Beterbiev winning 11 and 12. That was the difference between drawing and losing on my card, and it was decisive for the judges, who favored Beterbiev down the stretch. Yes, each round does count the same, but in terms of the broader narrative of the fight, there can be no doubt that Beterbiev was the fresher fighter at the conclusion of the match. He had an extra level at the end, where Bivol did not.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in the fight. I was looking for one of the fighters to make a definitive statement and absent that, I was hoping for some thrilling action, but that didn't really happen either, with the exception of a pulsating seventh round. Beterbiev played it a little too safe in my opinion and Bivol was a little too weary by the end of the fight.  

Furthermore, there were few singular moments to remember from the fight. Yes, Bivol had some instances where he landed blistering left hook-straight right-hand combinations and Beterbiev had a couple of thudding counter right uppercuts and right hands, but there was little carnage, few periods of mastery, and a lot of tentative moments from both. 

The two fighters tangling on the inside
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Although I have admired the championship reigns of Beterbiev and Bivol, Saturday's fight felt anti-climactic for me. I can't say that Beterbiev is the definitive light heavyweight of his era. But I also can't buy into Bivol's superior technical brilliance, especially how he faded in a fight that was mostly a boxing match. Although he is the first opponent to go the distance with Beterbiev, I'm guessing that moral victory doesn't feel particularly sweet for Bivol. For someone who has prided himself on being a champion, he certainly didn't close like a champ. And he left enough openings for the score to be in doubt.  

Bivol's defense was still very good on the night, but getting hit with 20% or so of Beterbiev's shots (which is still a very low connect percentage) is not the same as getting hit with someone else's 20%. Bivol somehow needed to be even sharper. 

Surprisingly, Beterbiev's speed wasn't a big disadvantage. He was able to get in range enough. But he rarely landed his best power shots. It seems that he made a clear decision to rely on touch shots that sacrificed power for speed. Despite the victory, Beterbiev didn't look like the big bad wolf in the ring. He did have Bivol on the run at the end of the fight and that did help him win it, but he didn't have too many signature moments. The judges felt that he was a little more consistent throughout the fight. You or I may not believe that, but that's less important right now. He struggled. He persevered. Some felt he had done just enough. 

At 39 and overcoming a slew of recent injuries, I wouldn't expect Beterbiev to be back in the ring anytime soon. And I don't think that he has too many big fights left. When the pressure fighter can't do it for 12 rounds, when the power puncher isn't having the same effect that he used to, the signs of decline may soon become even more apparent. And Beterbiev's aura has been a vital part of his success. His relentlessness has caused many opponents to make mistakes, to burn out, or to help in defeating themselves. If his intimidation factor has lessened, that can only embolden opponents. 

As for Bivol, he certainly has years ahead of him at the top levels of boxing, but I don't think that his speed on Saturday was what it once was either. The guy who defanged Canelo controlled the ring far better than the fighter who was in the ring on Saturday. And Beterbiev is many things, but he is not faster on his feet than Canelo, nor does he have faster hands. Yet Bivol struggled more on Saturday. Size does matter and so does Beterbiev's talent, but I can only remember a handful of big shots that Canelo landed whereas Beterbiev scored with shots more frequently. That Beterbiev was even in range points to a deficiency from Bivol; either his tactics were off, or his speed has lessened. In a perfect world, I don't think that Bivol wanted as many exchanges as what happened on Saturday. 

With so many high-profile fights this year, and others that have featured superior entertainment value, I won't dwell on Beterbiev-Bivol for too long. I will applaud both for making it happen. It was a consequential matchup, one of the best that could have been made in the sport, but the quality of the fight didn't rival its importance. I wanted Saturday to be a confirmation of greatness, but it turned out to be too risk-averse from both. So perhaps two great fighters neutralized the other. This potential reality always existed; it's just not what the public wanted to see. 

To me, this remains the Beterbiev and Bivol era. And if they want to settle it for good, that's fine. And if not, we will move on. They tried. They didn't fully succeed. That's the sport too. They both did some great things in the ring on Saturday, but it wasn't enough from this vantage point. Neither fully sold out for the win. They didn't leave it all in the ring. And however history remembers them, that fact should not be forgotten. 

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

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook  

Beterbiev-Bivol: Preview and Prediction

The most significant light heavyweight fight in generations takes place on Saturday between Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will be for undisputed status at 175 lbs. and the winner will emerge on the shortlist as one of the best of his time. For the last truly undisputed light heavyweight in the sport, we'd have to go back all the way to Michael Spinks in the '80s, so the winner of Saturday's fight will be in rarified air.   

Perfect Opponents 

If you were to draw up a hypothetical perfect opponent to beat Dmitry Bivol, Arthur Beterbiev would be as close to ideal as possible. Beterbiev, with the 100% knockout rate, does not need to land a lot of shots to stop fighters, which is important because Bivol doesn't get hit frequently. Similarly, Beterbiev is not reliant on one specific punch, which makes it tougher for Bivol to gear his defense to protecting himself against a lone knockout weapon. And if Beterbiev can get someone hurt, he can close. Bivol has been hurt before by Joe Smith and hit with enormous shots by Canelo Alvarez, but he was never close to being stopped. If anyone can stop Bivol at 175 lbs., Beterbiev is the guy. 

The converse of this matchup is also true. Bivol is the perfect type of fighter to beat Beterbiev. He has exceptional feet and is faster on the outside than Beterbiev. He can score with shots and can get out of range well. He has a terrific jab that allows him to win rounds while minimizing risk. Perhaps most importantly, Bivol has the temperament to face a relentless slugger like Beterbiev; he doesn't care if he stinks a fight out. Bivol isn't concerned with wowing the crowd. He is there to win and he will try to accomplish that by any means necessary. He's not in the business of giving his opponents a lot of shots at him and he's not interested in trading. He's there to land and leave. 

Beterbiev (left) and Bivol face-off at the kickoff presser
Photo courtesy of Queensbury Promotions

Beterbiev's Age 

On fight night Beterbiev will be 39 years old, six years older than Bivol. 39 is old in boxing, but not necessarily disqualifying, especially at the higher weights. Archie Moore was light heavyweight champion at 45. Bernard Hopkins was champ at 49. And another point in Beterbiev's favor is the relatively small number of professional rounds that he's had. He still hasn't hit 100 professional rounds (just 98). Compare that to Bivol, who even at a significantly younger age, has almost 100 more pro rounds (190). So just how much is age a factor in the fight?  

Despite Beterbiev's expert ability to make quick work of his opponents, I believe that it would be a mistake to consider him well-preserved. Beterbiev has dropped out of or delayed several fights over the past five years, including this one. Recent physical issues have involved his knee, his jaw and his shoulder. These are the types of things that happen as fighters age; they start to break down. Beterbiev enters this match after fighting in January, which for him is a lot of activity. This will be his first time fighting twice in a calendar year since 2021. In his last five years he has had the following number of fights: 0, 2, 1, 1 and now 2. It's possible for fighters to get old overnight, especially ones who are inactive and have had recent injuries.   

Each Has a Lost Art 

If there are two frustrations I have with modern boxers in the ring, it's that so few can fight effectively on the inside and hardly anyone knows how to stink a fight out and win. In this fight, Beterbiev (the former) and Bivol (the latter) really understand these dynamics of the sport. In close, Beterbiev varies the pace and power of his shots. He'll mix in touch shots with massive artillery. He goes to the body and the head. He knows how to position his body to get throwing angles while minimizing those of his opponents. In the trenches, his footwork is often terrific.  

And Bivol will try his very best to ensure that none of those attributes from Beterbiev will manifest in the fight. He has the agility to move for 12 rounds and even if he's not throwing or taking a round off, he knows not to put himself at risk. Now there are many opponents who can minimize risk but not necessarily win their big fights. However, Bivol not only wins fights, but they are rarely close. Although Bivol has won tons of decisions in his fights, I don't think that any of them were undeserved. Yes, he faded late against Craig Richards and had to deal with Canelo's magnetism as it relates to judges, but I don't think that those fights were ever in serious doubt with an unbiased set of eyes. If Bivol needs to fight negatively, he can, and can still win. 

The Key Factor

The fight doesn't start, in my opinion, until Beterbiev can hurt Bivol. Up to that point, I would expect Bivol to win rounds based on volume, hand speed and ring generalship. It's not that Beterbiev is a bad boxer, not by any means. In fact, he has been mischaracterized as a one-dimensional slugger for far too long. Beterbiev possesses several tremendous boxing attributes. He can lead and counter. He can hurt an opponent with several weapons. His body shots are pulverizing. He has a counter right hook to the side of the head that seems to land on everyone. Although his foot speed has been criticized, he can cut off the ring really well. He can also expertly turn opponents on the ropes.  

And although all of the above is true, he just isn't the boxer that Bivol is. The speed advantage is real in this fight. But it's not just about athleticism, Bivol knows how to control the ring with his movements. He glides effortlessly. He can go laterally either way, circle, or move in and out. He doesn't need to plant his feet to land punches and he rarely sticks around after throwing. He's one of the most elusive fighters in this era.  

I just don't see Beterbiev beating Bivol by out-boxing him. But Beterbiev can certainly turn the tide with a boxing move. That practiced counter right hook could be the shot. Maybe it will be his sledgehammer jab. Boxing won't win Beterbiev the fight, but it may be the entry point for him to do so. 

If and when Beterbiev hurts Bivol, then we will see all we need to know about Bivol's recuperative powers and if Beterbiev can finish an opponent as hard to find as Bivol. The only frame of reference is Bivol in the Joe Smith fight, where Bivol was hurt late in that fight at the end of a round. He needed more than a round to recover his bearings. But Smith just couldn’t land the final blow. And in truth, despite having a rocked opponent in front of him, Smith didn't get close. Beterbiev is certainly more well-rounded offensively than Smtih, and he will need to be to get Bivol down and possibly out.   

Prediction: 

This fight could certainly go many ways, but I can't get past the fact that Bivol doesn't care about style points. That's the singular attribute that makes me side with him in this matchup. It's not that he knows how to stink out a fight; it's that he has a willingness to do so. The crowd booing won't bother him one bit.  

I would certainly hate a sport that had 15 champions who all knew how to stink out a fight against a top opponent, but I can definitely appreciate one champ who can and will. There's a beauty in it. Floyd was great at it. So was Hopkins. They won fights that often weren't in doubt and yet sometimes it would be a challenge to recall any memorable punches that they landed. Their level of control was that comprehensive. I believe that Bivol is in this category.  

But even the great Floyd and the great Hopkins had rough nights, fights they could have lost, and with Hopkins, fights that he did lose. Every style can be gotten to. Every fighter can be beaten. So even as I marvel at Bivol's athleticism, technical prowess and grace in the ring, he's a short, clubbing right hand away from being Beterbiev's 21st KO victim. And let's never forget that the risk Beterbiev presents in this fight will be real in every second of the match. Bivol cannot make too many mistakes and expect to win.  

I think that Bivol will win by decision, but he will have to survive one or two moments of genuine peril, and those moments will make for a riveting fight. Beterbiev is too skilled to go 12 rounds without landing something consequential. I just don't know if he has the speed to capitalize on those moments. It's one thing landing something big on Bivol, but can Beterbiev find the right combination of shots to get Bivol out of the fight? I have my concerns. It's certainly possible that Bivol hits the canvas on Saturday, but I do expect him to hear the final bell. Let's say that Bivol wins 10 rounds to 2 or 9 rounds to 3, but no one will regret watching the fight.  

Dmitry Bivol defeats Artur Beterbiev via wide decision. 10 rounds to 2 or 9 rounds to 3. 

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

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook  

Notes from the 5x5 Card

Daniel Dubois faced significant adversity in Saturday's fight against Filip Hrgovic. In the early rounds of the match, he repeatedly was rocked by Hrgovic's right hand. And these were not love taps; Hrgovic was launching missiles at Dubois' head. But unlike his performance against Oleksandr Usyk, Dubois refused to yield on Saturday. He kept firing. As the fight progressed, it was Dubois' right hand that caused the real damage. He opened cuts over both of Hrgovic's eyes. And the fight was eventually stopped due to the cuts in the eighth round, giving Dubois an impressive come-from-behind stoppage.  

Perhaps no fighter elevated his stock in the Riyadh Season cards more than Dubois. He scored stoppage wins against the durable Jarrell Miller in a firefight and now against Hrgovic. Not long ago Dubois was thought to be pretty close to a never-was. Although he had always possessed heavyweight power and had an ideal physical build for the division, he was missing self-belief and the ability to handle adversity. 

Dubois (right) taking the fight to Hrgovic
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson/Matchroom Sport

Dubois now knows that he has the tools and power to turn around a fight. This self-belief has been a welcome development in his career. His defense is still so poor that one wonders how long his chin will hold up, but as long as it does, he will be a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division, and a possible titleholder depending on future matchups.  

As for Hrgovic, he turned in a poor performance on multiple levels. In his 2022 shootout with Zhilei Zhang, Hrgovic moved all around the ring to stave off Zhang's threat. But against Dubois, Hrgovic felt no need to use his legs. He was hitting Dubois so easily and with such thunder that he fought like he expected Dubois to drop at any minute. As a result, Hrgovic stayed in range and saw no reason to use any evasive tactics against Dubois. Consequently, he took several huge bombs that led to the cuts.  

Furthermore, Hrgovic was so content to land the right hand that he felt little need to incorporate other aspects of his offensive arsenal. He didn't realize that Dubois was taking the shots without too many problems and had adjusted to their power. Hrgovic threw few combinations and there were scant left hooks or uppercuts at any time. There is a school of thought that says don't change if something is working, but Dubois was increasingly gaining confidence and having his own success. By the time the seventh round had ended, Hrgovic looked like a truck had hit him. He fought like he didn't respect Dubois' abilities in the ring, but the last laugh was on him.  

*** 

Years from now, it's possible that Hamzah Sheeraz's 11th-round TKO victory over Austin Williams will be a mere footnote in an illustrious career. Sheeraz certainly looks like he has the ability to do great things in the sport. But make no mistake; Sheeraz faced a lot of challenges in this fight, and he overcame them with aplomb. Williams tried to bomb Sheeraz from distance early in the fight and landed a terrific straight left hand in the first round that shook Sheeraz. Later in the fight, Williams tried to rough up Sheeraz on the inside and had periods of success with this approach.   

Despite Williams having several good moments in the fight, Sheeraz ultimately picked him apart at every range. Using his sledgehammer jab and his massive reach, Sheeraz controlled Williams from the outside. On the inside, Sheeraz landed blistering uppercuts that made Williams reconsider his decision to come forward. On numerous occasions, Sheeraz tagged Williams with hard right-hand counters as Williams was trying to get out of the pocket. Sheeraz also displayed a nasty straight right hand that had pinpoint accuracy.  

Sheeraz looks to be a good bet to win a title at middleweight. And with his 6'3" frame, he might have success in multiple weight classes before his career is done. I still think that there are some holes in his defense, especially in tracking shots from long range, but if he uses his height and reach well, he can minimize that issue as he progresses in the sport. I think that a fighter like Wladimir Klitschko had a similar issue. But Wlad would also become one of the longest-reigning champions in the division's history. Sheeraz is an offensive juggernaut. And if he sticks to his strengths and continues to master fighting tall, he could have a wonderful future in the sport. But be aware of long-range bombers. There aren't many out there, but they lurk.   

*** 

In a fight where little happened in the first four rounds, the fifth round between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang was certainly consequential. Wilder started to unleash menacing right hands, the types of punches that have knocked out dozens of opponents.  

But in a matter of seconds all of that ended. As Wilder threw a right, Zhang countered with a lightning-quick right hook that spun Wilder around. Seizing the moment, Zhang delivered a Howitzer of a right hook as Wilder was defenseless, sending him down for a hard knockdown. Although Wilder beat the count, referee Kieran McCann saw how damaged Wilder was and waved off the fight. 

Zhang dropping Wilder with his right hook
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

As Riyadh Season has been great for Dubois, it's been terrible for Wilder, who in his previous fight lost a wide decision against Joseph Parker. His performance was so poor in that fight that many boxing observers (and Wilder himself!) questioned if he still had the fire and drive needed to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Saturday showed further signs of aging for Wilder. There were so many moments where he pawed Zhang with his jab and had him perfectly lined up for a right hand, but he wouldn't pull the trigger. When he finally did in the fifth round, he was beaten to the punch by a 41-year-old opponent.  

Riyadh Season was a mixed bag for Zhang. Although he knocked down Parker in his last fight twice, he threw few punches throughout large stretches of the bout. He wouldn't let his hands go with regularity and was simply outworked. Against Wilder, he was marginally busier. And when he did have his moment, he pounced on it, which hasn't always been the case in his career. 

Zhang remains a huge threat to any heavyweight who wants to stand in front of him. However, the blueprint to beating him is out there. He lacks the foot speed and stamina to go hard for 12 rounds. But if a fighter wants to slug it out, he'd like his chances against anyone. 

*** 

Coming off a memorable 12th-round stoppage victory over Otabek Kholmatov in a Fight of the Year contender, featherweight champion Raymond Ford started Saturday's fight with little of the fire he displayed in his previous bout. He was repeatedly beaten to the punch by Nick Ball early in the fight. And although Ford seemingly possessed an advantage in athleticism, he declined to use it. Instead, he decided to trade with Ball in the pocket.  

Now there are two possible explanations for Ford's sluggish start. He had previously talked about moving up to 130 lbs., yet he stayed at 126 for this fight because of the opportunity. And he certainly fought like a guy who didn't have a great training camp. But I also believe that there is another explanation for his early-round performance: he fell in love with his power. Ford didn't jab much early in the fight. Instead, he tried to bomb Ball out of the fight with left hands. Now Ford is many things in the ring, but he's not really a knockout puncher (just 8 knockouts in 16 fights). Unfortunately for Ford, Ball has a terrific chin AND he wanted to work much more than Ford did. With Ford tethered to the pocket, Ball landed all sorts of eye-catching power shots. 

Ball's (left) aggression gave Ford problems
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

In the second half of the fight, Ford found a perfect synthesis for success. Using his legs more to create angles but continuing to focus on power shots, he pasted Ball frequently with crushing single shots and combinations. Ford demonstrated how advanced he is with his left hand, pulverizing Ball with straight lefts to the head and body and lighting him up with several breathtaking uppercuts.  

The 12th round was one to savor as both went at it with full fire. Although Ball had dropped most of the latter rounds of the fight, he gave everything he had in the final frame and scored with some terrific sequences of power punches. And yet Ford had his own spectacular moments in the round, landing crushing uppercuts and straight lefts. 

Ultimately, Ball won a split decision with two of the judges giving him seven rounds while Ford won seven rounds on the other card. It was a tale of two halves, with a couple of swing rounds that made the judges' scorecards defensible. Ball is now a world champion and although Ford left a lot to be desired in the first half of the fight, he demonstrated his world-class ability in the latter rounds. He has a real chance to win a title at 130 lbs.  

*** 

It's unusual to see a 33-year-old undefeated champion add a lot to his repertoire at such a late stage of his career. Yet Dmitry Bivol took the opportunity of a tune-up fight with Malik Zinad to feature several new additions in his toolbox. We are so used to seeing Bivol use lateral movement and quick feet to be evasive, but Bivol fought Zinad as a walk-down pressure fighter. 

Bivol almost never stopped coming forward. When Zinad unloaded with power punches, Bivol didn't take a quick step back as has usually been his custom throughout his career. No, he held his ground and took most of the punches off his arms or gloves. This was not Bivol's traditional defense, and yet he was having a lot of success with it. At one point, Zinad had landed only 14% of his punches, a very low percentage, and in line with most of Bivol's opponents.  

I kept thinking when watching Bivol fight on Saturday that he had been studying an opponent whom he had recently beaten: Canelo, who may be among the best in the sport in taking shots on his arms while refusing to give up ground on his way in. I wouldn't put it past Bivol. He's a student of the sport. What's even more interesting is that it's unlikely that Bivol would want to fight in this style against his next opponent, unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, who is one of the best come-forward fighters in the sport. So, let's just chalk up Saturday's performance to Bivol working on new things, and somehow also showing a mastery of them. Oh, by the way, he won by sixth round stoppage (also not a traditional Bivol thing!).  

*** 

Saturday's card began with an English light heavyweight showdown between Willy Hutchinson and Craig Richards, who performed well in a loss to Bivol in 2021. Hutchinson didn't have Richards' resume, but he had self-belief, youth, and an aggressive style. Throughout the first half of the fight, Hutchinson dominated with power and craft. Switching stances frequently, Hutchinson hit Richards with everything in his arsenal.  

It wasn't truly a fight until the last half. Hutchinson started to tire and Richards, as often his custom, belatedly let his hands go. Although Richards wound up not winning many rounds in the fight, he did land several bombs in the late rounds. Hutchinson, who had never been past seven as a pro prior to Saturday, had to deal with fatigue, an opponent who could take his punches, and navigating through some scary moments in the ring.  

But he did. By the 12th Hutchinson had steadied the ship and he wound up winning a wide unanimous decision. Hutchinson doesn't yet look like a 12-round fighter to me, but he's still just 25 and this experience should do him a world of good. Like many power punchers, he never really had to learn to pace himself because he was blowing opponents out in the early rounds. But if he wants to complete his matriculation in boxing, that will be his crucial final step in being a serious contender at light heavyweight. Despite his gas tank issue, it was a solid performance. He took advantage of the global stage and announced that he's a player in the division. He has fire in both hands and he's ready to go!  

And now we are as well.  

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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