Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight for the undisputed lightweight heavyweight championship tonight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The fight is viewed as a boxer versus puncher, but it is actually a fight between two boxer-punchers to determine the top dog in the 175-pound division.

WBA lightweight heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) has speed, mobility and the advantage of youth. Age may be a factor in this fight for 39-year-old Beterbiev as he is undergoing surgery on his right knee earlier this year. However, if he plays at the level he did against Callum Smith on January 13, Bivol will be in trouble. Beterbiev didn’t look vintage in this fight.

Tonight’s Beterbiev-Bivol fight will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

“I like the rivalry between Eddie Hearn and Artur Beterbiev. Hearn knows the game and got people interested. He got under Beterbiev’s skin a little bit and showed us some venom,” said commentator Todd Grisham. Boxing of the highest order.

“Did Eddie Hearn upset him? Did he get under his skin? said Dev Sahni of Queensberry Promotions.

Beterbiev didn’t look furious when he asked Hearn why he talked so much about him during his recent press conference. He seemed more annoyed than anything else. Hearn often does this type of thing in an attempt to upset the players competing against his. He does this to support them, not just to pique fans’ interest.

“I think Beterbiev’s team bristles a little bit at the idea that it’s boxer versus brawler,” said journalist Chris Mannix. “We know Bivol is a very talented boxer, but Beterbiev’s team is right. He is an elite boxer in his own right. He is a two-time Olympian. He has a whole bunch of amateur medals.”

Fans see Beterbiev’s 20-0 record with 20 knockouts and naturally assume he’s a brawler, and he is. Beterbiev can box at times, but it’s a means to an end. He does this to prepare his opponents for strenuous shots that are meant to knock them out.

“He will touch you. He will regularly throw four- and five-punch combos. Artur Beterbiev has tons of boxing skills. At the same time, I think the 12 knockouts on Bivol’s resume are a bit misleading.

“I think he has more power than those 12 knockouts suggest. Bivol is the type of guy who rises to the level of competition.”

Bivol has good power, but rarely uses it because he always focuses on throwing quick combos and then moving away. He doesn’t position his legs to put weight on his punches. In Bivol’s last fight against Malik Zinadcaused a firestorm by landing 18 consecutive shots to the head, leading to the referee’s stoppage in the sixth round on June 1. Bivol had to land a lot of punches to get the knockout.

“They are both examples of Eastern European styles where you maximize your natural and physical capabilities,” coach Andy Lee said of Bivol and Beterbiev. “I look at the players to see if Beterbiev can make him turn around and back off. Will he be able to get him onto the ropes? What will he be able to do once he gets there?”

Bivol will withdraw if Beterbiev comes forward because that’s how he always fights. Bivol tends to give way when pushed by powerful punches because he doesn’t want to get hit. It will be intriguing to see what Bivol does when he runs out of real estate and is snapped up by Beterbiev. Will he fight or endure?

“With Bivol, I want to see if he can keep his hands up. Can he punch and make Beterbiev miss and then counter?” Lee said.

HAMZAH SHEERAZ believes Turki Alalshikh will pay the amount Chris Eubank Jr wants to fight the undefeated middleweight.

Sheeraz is in an enviable position. Talks are still ongoing about a potential fight with Eubank, but the 25-year-old also has the option of facing WBO world champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly or defending his European title against Denzel Bentley.

However, the fight with Eubank still appeals to Sheeraz, and when talking to him, he certainly seemed confident that they would fight one day.

“I think it will happen and if you ask me about it without His Excellency’s support, I will say no chance, no chance, but this is the man who is making it happen,” Sheeraz said.

“I feel like it is [Alalshikh] like this fight. Society demands it. Every time they interview Chris my name comes up and he doesn’t know where to look.

“He acts like he didn’t watch my last fight when he was in the ring. It’s engaging how he plays his cards, but we’ll definitely get in the ring.”

Eubank was actually at Wembley Stadium the night Sheeraz won the EBU title in the style we have become accustomed to. Tyler Denny only lasted two rounds after another demolition job from Sheeraz.

The champion’s promoter Frank Warren recently announced publicly that Eubank Jr had rejected a five million offer to fight Sheeraz. Is Eubank trying to price itself out?

“You can say that, but then His Excellency and the team will turn around and give him what he wants and then what he will do,” Sheeraz mused.

“Then you have to accept the fight this way. If he doesn’t do this, he will be dead in the water after this. I think from a business perspective he’s playing cards. I don’t blame him. Okay, cheerful days. He wants to make the most of his last years in the sport, but I think fighting me will definitely make sense.

Author: Sean Crose

One of the most anticipated fights in boxing will finally be going down Saturday in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, fans will finally get to see the 23-0 Dmitry Bivol square off against the 20-0 Artur Beterbiev. The winner will not only become the undisputed delicate heavyweight champion of the world. He will also be recognized as a legitimate legend in a truly legendary weight division. There’s a reason this fight has been so looked forward to. Beterbiev has stopped every last one of his opponents. Everyone. Last. One. And Bivol? He’s won against none other than Canelo Alvarez. Canelo Alvarez.