Via Brian Webber: Eddie Hearn says the choking clash between light heavyweight champions Dmitry Bivol & Artur Beterbiev is still not big enough to affect casual boxing fans.
While Bivol vs. Beterbiev could be the “biggest fight in boxing” for die-hard fans, Hearn said, it won’t be recognized by the average person who isn’t familiar with the two 175-weight champions. lb undefeated.
Hearn still wants to get Bivo-Beterbiev to fight, but the two have had fights this year that they must navigate before they can finally contend for the undisputed championship.
Bivol has to fight Canelo
Canelo Alvarez wants a rematch with Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) in September, so the Bivol-Beterbiev match will be ruled out in the summer as it is too close to that month.
That still makes November or December the likely months for a Bivol vs. Beterbiev, but that will depend on how concussion Dmitry is after his game against Canelo in September.
Bivol will drop to 168th to challenge Canelo for his undisputed title, which could make the match tougher than their previous match at 175th last September. .
If this time is more competitive, Bivol could lose or be cut, which will make it difficult for him to return to the ring to face IBF, WBC & WBO lightweight champion Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) in September. 11 or December .
“Beterbiev is going to have Ramadan. He won’t fight until the summer, that’s okay,” Eddie Hearn told Ariel Helwani’s podcast. “Beterbiev was forced to fight Callum Smith, our man. Canelo said, ‘No no no. I must take revenge.’
“So if you were going to do Bivol-Beterbiev, it would be June or July. That excludes the September war. That’s an interesting dynamic. For me, just to make it clear. Bivol-Beterbiev is one of my all time favorite fights. It’s not just about boxing now,” Hearn said.
Bivol-Beterbiev has no normal reach
“It was a big fight and one where I support our guy [Bivol] to win, as good as Beterbiev,” says Hearn. “We just need to navigate the Callum Smith fragment, the Canelo piece. For me, Bivol is about legacy. There was an opportunity for Dmitry Bivol to face Canelo Alvarez at 168 lbs for the undisputed title, and in the ensuing bout, win or lose, against Beterbiev for the undisputed title at 175.
“A lot of people see him as the right opponent to beat Canelo Alvarez. He can be really undisputed at 168 out of 175 in two fights, and that’s what appeals to him. But we don’t have to wait too long for these super fights.
“We’ve seen it before, and for me, Bivol-Beterbiev may not have the usual reach yet of several wars. But for us and for those in the fighting game, it could be the best fight in boxing. So we need to make sure we’re trying to make that happen,” Hearn said.
