Pod host Teddy Atlas believes that Dmitri Bivol will benefit more from his fight against Artur Beterbiev than the other way around and will be better in the 2025 rematch.
Atlas argues that Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs), after showing that he can get past the boogeyman Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) in one piece in a close fight, will favor him in the rematch.
Additionally, Atlas maintains that with Beterbiev turning 40 on January 21, his suspension in his clash with Bivol will affect him for the second game.
Bivol was punished more than Beterbiev and hurt in the championship rounds. It was by no means a physical battle due to the movement Bivol used for the full 12 rounds, especially in the later quarter of the contest. He admitted after the fight that he imitated Sugar Ray Leonard’s fighting style for his match against Marvin Hagler on April 6, 1987. Leonard moved, threw poor shoe polish and took big shots from Hagler in his controversial victory.
Bivol was on the run, trying to escape Beterbiev’s pressure and giving up the championship rounds without a fight. The 33-year-old Bivol had no interest in fighting Beterbiev from rounds 9 to 12. That’s where Bivol lost the fight.
“He (Beterbiev) is turning 40. I’d say the guy who’s closer to 40 will be more affected by that kind of fight in a rematch than the guy (Bivol) who’s seven years younger,” Teddy Atlas said on his channelmaking an argument that Artur Beterbiev took the punishment in his fight last Saturday night that will affect him in his rematch with Dmitri Bivol.
What Atlas says here does not fit this battle because it was not a war. Bivol landed mainly defensive takedowns and only opened up once in the fight, in the seventh round, when he briefly chased Beterbiev. Interestingly, that round was the turning point of the fight as Beterbiev went on the attack, hurt Bivol and dominated the rest of the match.
Round seven was Bivol’s one brief moment of courage, and it was ultimately his downfall as Beterbiev hurt him and gave up trying to fight from that point on.
Rounds 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 all belonged to Beterbiev as he stalked a very scared looking Bivol and nailed him with shots. Bivol was in survival mode.
“Bivol will be less accepted physically, while Beterbiev can be affected more in a rematch. Who benefits more from a physical and emotional experience? I think it benefits Bivol more. Bivol will be better for that experience in the rematch,” Atlas said.
