Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol postponed

2024-05-04に共有

Artur Beterbiev suffered a torn meniscus and his undisputed lightweight championship bout with Dmitry Bivol on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was postponed, it was announced Friday.

Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, told ESPN that an opponent to replace Bivol is being sought on the June 1 card.

Beterbiev will have knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least September, sources said.

It is hoped that Beterbiev-Bivol will be rescheduled for later this year.

Alalshikh has announced that a stacked card featuring five Matchroom promoted fighters against five Queensberry fighters will take place on June 1 as scheduled.

The standout fight series was the bout between former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.

Both fighters just lost to Joseph Parker.

Wilder needs an impressive performance to advance to his scheduled Aug 3 fight with Jared Anderson in Los Angeles.

Filip Hrgovic will meet Daniel Dubois for the vacant IBF heavyweight title, and Ray Ford will defend his WBA featherweight title against Nick Ball.

The remaining two matches are Ammo Williams-Hamzah Sheeraz and Willy Hutchinson-Craig Richards.

But the most anticipated fight is the long-awaited summit between Beterbiev and Bivol.

Bivol owns a victory over boxing's top star Canelo Alvarez and holds the WBA title at 175 pounds.

Beterbiev, WBO, WBC and IBF champion at 175 pounds.

Beterbiev and Bivol are both from Russia, although Beterbiev now lives in Quebec.

That's where he returned in January with a seventh-round TKO victory over former super middleweight champion Callum Smith, a victory that kept him on a collision course with Bivol.

The victory came in Beterbiev's first fight since January 2023, when he scored a seventh-round TKO over Anthony Yarde.

Beterbiev is the only boxing champion with a 100% knockout ratio.

However, Bivol owns the more impressive win between the two with a May 2022 decision victory over Alvarez.

It was a dominant performance that showcased Bivol's elite jab, footwork and in-ring intelligence.

Beterbiev also possesses an excellent jab and is arguably the most dangerous fighter in boxing.

The fight is one of the most anticipated in light heavyweight history and represents a fascinating confrontation of styles: Bivol is a classic boxer, Beterbiev is a boxer- punch.

Bivol's last fight came in December in Riyadh, where he scored a win over Lyndon Arthur.

#Artur Beterbiev
#Turki Alalshikh
#Dmitry Bivol
#Deontay Wilder
#Zhilei Zhang
#Joseph Parker
#Jared Anderson
#Filip Hrgovic
#Daniel Dubois
#Canelo Alvarez