Beterbiev It’s! He Floors Bivol, Becomes Undisputed Champion

Beterbiev narrowly beats Bivol to become the undisputed light-heavyweight king

Beterbiev (left) defeats Bivol and crowned as undisputed champion / Getty Images.

By Isaac Nyamungu

Artur Beterbiev emanates with a majority decision to emerge victorious beating Dmitry Bivol. Both Beterbiev and Bivol met in a long awaited fight to decide the first undisputed light-heavyweight world titlist since Roy Jones

It was a bout at the highest level to pinnacle the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the first since Roy Jones in 1999, one that was eventually decided in Beterbiev's favor by majority of judges’ decision.

Beterbiev (21-0, 20), the WBC, WBO and IBF champion, added the WBA belt, though saw his KO streak end. He was boxing's only champion with a 100% knockout ratio entering the bout, however he required to go the distance against Bivol. Beterbiev has been a 175-pound champion since 2017.

Beterview, 39, displayed greater power and left Bivol’s face badly swollen under his left eye. Bivol, 33, showed snap in his punches too, but he could not evade enough blows.

“He’s powerful, very powerful,’’ Bivol said.

The fight has been years in the making. There hasn't been an undisputed champion in the division since Roy Jones Jr. vacated one of his titles in 2000 (three-belt era).

Bivol, who entered the ring had looked near enough flawless, sporting a previously spotless professional record, that entails thrashing Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and reigning as WBA champion since 2017.

Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) had made 12 defenses of the belt before facing Beterbiev.

Beterbiev alongside Bivol were planned to clash on June 1 though, a month before the fight, Beterbiev underwent a ruptured meniscus and undertook knee surgery, forcing the postponement. However, Bivol wanted to keep busy and fought Malik Zinad on that date, a sixth-round TKO victory, his only stoppage win in his past 10 fights.

One scored the bout level at 114-114, but the other two saw it in Beterbiev's favour 115-113 and 116-112.

"I feel not bad. I wanted to box more, I don't like this fight," Beterbiev said afterwards.

"I was a little bit uncomfortable,” he continued.

"Of course it was a tough fight, Dmitry is world champion and has better skills than me,” he added.

"I felt uncomfortable, because usually I'm not waiting for the bell!" he asserted.

On the issue of a rematch, this is what Beterbiev noted. “If his Excellency wants to, we going to do,’’ Beterbiev said, referring to Turki Alalshikh, who is the chairperson of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and has become a main matchmaker of boxing.