This is Rummy’s Corner.
Artur Beterbiev is a tremendous talent with exceptional power, and he proved that again
this past weekend when he successfully defended his unified light heavyweight crown against
Anthony Yarde.
It was a very entertaining fight!
Both guys exhibited heart and courage, both guys landed and absorbed some terrific punches,
and there were a lot of action packed rounds, but in the end the bludgeoning power of Beterbiev
won the day.
The champion dropped the challenger hard in round 8, and Yarde bravely tried battling
on, but his corner and the ref had more or less simultaneously seen enough shortly after
action resumed.
With that victory, Beterbiev’s record improved to a perfect 19 victories in 19 contests,
with all 19 wins coming by way of knockout.
Since winning the vacant IBF belt a bit over 5 years ago, Beterbiev has made 7 title defenses,
including victories in unification bouts against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019, and Joe Smith Jr
in June of last year.
Beterbiev is the reigning unified IBF/WBC/WBO world light heavyweight champion.
Despite the mighty impressive run to date, Beterbiev just turned 38 years old, and he
does seem to have slowed down a bit, despite the wrecking ball power and accompanying perfect
record.
Which begs the question, at an advanced age when reflexes, speed, power, and durability
are generally in decline for most prizefighters - is Beterbiev still good enough to beat the
man who has been his most logical rival for a number of years already - that man being
Dmitry Bivol.
The quick answer is he is certainly good enough that he COULD beat the talented tactician
in Bivol, but at this point in time I am not so certain he WOULD.
Make no mistake - Artur Beterbiev is an absolute powerhouse!
Those short powerful right hands, bludgeoning left hooks, and his other wide variety of
punches in his offensive arsenal are the real deal - Artur can HIT - and that sledgehammer
power is good enough that he could conceivably stop any boxer during the long rich history
of the 175 pound weight class - including towering legends from the past, guys like
Ezzard Charles, and even Archie Moore - The Old Mongoose himself.
I’m certainly not saying he would beat them, and he certainly hasn’t faced anyone remotely
approaching that caliber, but Beterbiev’s game changing power makes him someone who
is impossible to ever completely write off in any hypothetical bout at 175.
So obviously - and I do believe this is a self-evident fact - Beterbiev has the firepower
that he most certainly COULD beat a guy like Bivol.
But at the same time, something we have seen through boxing history time and time again
- is that it often takes a smooth operator with a great abundance of smarts and technical
skills to slay a power punching monster like Beterbiev.
In that light, Bivol potentially represents Beterbiev’s kryptonite.
Bivol excels at using angles, he has terrific footwork, a tremendous understanding of range
and distance, and he provides a very slippery target who is difficult to nail clean.
The thing of it is, Beterbiev CAN box a little, too.
He proved years ago that he isn’t just some predictable power punching one dimensional
pressure fighter.
Beterbiev isn’t the quickest guy, but what he lacks in raw athleticism and agility, he
makes up for with a deceptively high ring IQ - and not just because he has an awesome
understanding of distance, and an uncanny ability to discover his optimal range.
Beterbiev is a thinking man’s fighter, who is always studiously finding ways to offset
his opponent’s grand strategy, but also the micro-strategy at any given moment in
the ebb and flow.
He is an offensive minded puncher, who has a very nuanced and varied approach.
The thing I think impresses me most about Beterbiev, notorious power aside, is the fact
that whenever something isn’t working for him, or whenever things aren’t going his
way, he remains focused, with an ability to quickly assess his predicament and act accordingly
- whether it’s biding his time, subtly changing things up, or going with the flow and battling
it out where he can be very sneaky with his delivery of dangerous blows.
These attributes were especially on display in his bouts against Gvozdyk and Yarde.
And the times he was knocked down against Page, and then also the time he was dropped
hard by Callum Johnson - in both instances, Beterbiev persevered, he exhibited championship
heart, and he ultimately overcame adversity and stopped Page and Johnson.
That’s the thing about Beterbiev that has become more and more apparent.
Despite not being the fastest or most athletic boxer, his nuanced skill set becomes even
more impressive when you consider how those skills compliment his strengths, which enabled
him to consistently find ways to accurately deliver that nuclear power in dramatic fashion.
The fact remains, however, that Beterbiev has never faced anyone quite as skilled and
talented as Bivol.
On the flipside, Bivol has never faced a powerhouse skilled puncher like Beterbiev.
That is what makes this one so damn interesting!
It is arguably the GREATEST fight that can be made in all of boxing right now, and it
has been the most logical fight at 175 for some time now.
Unfortunately for various reasons, it hasn’t come together, but RIGHT NOW - the timing
couldn’t be better for a showdown for light heavyweight supremacy.
So in conclusion, I definitely think Beterbiev IS still good enough to beat Bivol, despite
him slowing down and getting up there in age.
But in order for Beterbiev to beat Bivol, he is going to NEED to succeed in making his
power a big factor in the fight.
The nuanced and deceptive skill set won’t do him much good if he cannot find ways to
land on the slippery tactician with an incredible IQ in his own right.
Bivol is unquestionably the more skilled of the two, and he is also more athletic, more
versatile, younger, and in his prime right now.
Beterbiev’s power has been on display in all 19 of his pro fights to date, and he’s
going to NEED that power to work for him if he’s going to have a chance to beat Bivol
- even if that means landing clubbing blows on the arms and shoulders as Canelo frequently
did when he was unable to accurately nail the mark with any real consistency.
After all, there is reason to believe that Beterbiev pounding away on his arms and shoulders
might prove a greater deterrent than when Canelo was doing it.
At the end of the day, I have no idea who would win between Beterbiev and Bivol.
But as a long time boxing fan, I sure hope we get to find out some time very soon.
Because the styles couldn’t be any more different, and with the high stakes and historical
significance in play, that makes this one inherently super appealing.
Here’s to hoping it happens.
What do you think?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Thank you very much for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night!
This is Rummy’s Corner!