Former unified lightweight champion Nate Campbell says Dmitry Bivol will only last against Artur Beterbiev as long as he can absorb the punishment he will serve on October 12 in Riyadh.
Campbell picks IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) to win by knockout over WBA champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) because of his power. Nate is going with Beterbiev as his pick until someone proves him wrong, and he doesn’t believe Bivol is a big enough puncher to do that.
The oddsmakers still have Bivol as the favorite despite more and more fans rooting for Beterbiev to win. It’s easy to see why the bettors are picking Bivol, as he’s younger at 33, isn’t coming off a knee injury like Beterbiev, and he’s coming off an impressive win over Canelo Alvarez.
“Beterbiev (will win). One of my fans tried to get him on the podcast, and he hit the sack in the gym. My little boy said, ‘Damn, who keeps slamming the door in your gym?’ He said, ‘This is no door. It’s Artur hitting the sack,” Nate Campbell said YSM Sports Mediaand talks about why he’s picking Artur Artur Beterbiev to defeat Dmitri Bivol on October 12.
“Until you prove me otherwise, Beterbiev. Can you hit? You can neutralize a puncher by being a bigger puncher. Tell me which guy is a bigger puncher (than Beterbiev). Bivol can box; I know he can box. But can he hit? I could box, and I could punch.”
Bivol has decent hitting power, but it’s not extraordinary. He can knock guys out, but he has to land a lot of shots over the duration of the fight. For him to do that, he puts himself in danger of being hit. Fighting Beterbiev like that would be too dangerous for him to get away with.
“So, it changes the dynamic of the game when you can box and you can hit. What is the most dangerous style in boxing? (boxer-puncher). It’s going to end when he can’t take it anymore,” says Campbell about the fight that only lasts as long as Bivol can absorb punishment from Beterbiev.
Bivol is probably going to make it ugly by staying on the move, jabbing and holding Beterbiev when he gets close. He knows he can’t afford to fight the inside without getting knocked out. It’s going to be a hit and kick type fight with Bivol.
