The BIGGEST lightweight heavyweight fight of our generation has arrived and it has just about enough split boxing fans in the middle. Artur Beterbiev against Dmitry Bivol, who will fight for all four 175-pound belts on Saturday in Riyad, seems to be a classic case of a fight between a boxer and a puncher – but is it something more? We take a look at where you can win and lose this game for the ages.

ARTHUR BETERBIEV – KEYS TO VICTORY

POWER

No prizes for predicting that Beterbiev, a man with 20 wins and 20 knockouts, might just win it the distance, but when all is said and done, it might just be the fact that the unified WBC, WBO and IBF champion just punched too much for Bivol to handle. The disturbing thing for WBA champion Bivol is that his opponent doesn’t even have to land immaculate to knock you out, and can do it with his left or right hand, head or body. Facing him is the most perilous task in boxing today.

PRESSURE

Yes, it is the power in his hands that defeats people, but it is his feet that put pressure on his opponents, draining them of energy and perfectly putting them to sleep. We all know how Bivol likes to box on his toes, from the front to the attack, from the first and third positions, but will he be able to adopt this style when Beterbiev is beating him mercilessly? This may be the most crucial question in the entire fight, and foot pressure may prove to be the key to Beterbiev’s victory.

CHIN

With fighters like Anthony Yarde, Callum Smith and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, it’s protected to argue that Beterbiev has faced a higher caliber of lightweight heavyweight fighters than Bivol in his 23 fights. Yes, he was famously dropped by Callum Johnson in the second round of their 2018 encounter, but he roared back and won two rounds later. Bivol has never been a forceful puncher, and if he can’t earn Beterbiev’s respect by landing some shots early, the 39-year-old could tip his chin back and take down anything that gets in his way.

DMITRII BIVOL – KEYS TO VICTORY

STYLE

If you had to choose one boxer in the world whose style truly undone a boxer like Beterbiev, you would probably choose Bivol. Yes, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is not Beterbiev, he is not as substantial, forceful or powerful as him, but most people chose the Mexican ahead of the 2022 fight and Bivol just stuck to his boxing, stayed long and stayed away since the shooting – and made a lot of people look very stupid. It was exactly the same six months later with Gilberto Ramirez. Who’s to say he’s not skillful enough to do the same here, stay in good shape for 12 rounds, and beat the aging Beterbiev? Stranger things have happened.

ENGINE

Beterbiev never went the distance because he hits too challenging for anyone to do it, but the fact is he never went the distance. Enrico Koelling took him to 12th place before eventually succumbing with just 27 seconds on the clock, but that was seven years ago. Although he has seen 10th place twice in eight fights since then, this is not a man used to championship rounds. Meanwhile, Bivol has no problem completing all 12 tasks and may be able to take control once he reaches the halfway stage and defeats a frustrated Beterbiev.

Dmitry Bivol captures Lyndon Arthur during their fight in Riyad. (Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

YOUTH EFFECTIVENESS

At 33, Bivol is no spring chicken, but he appears to be a man in the prime of his life and at the peak of his abilities. Beterbiev, meanwhile, is now 39 years vintage and had to postpone his fight with Smith due to dental issues, while his original date with Bivol was postponed due to a torn meniscus. Perhaps this is a man at the end of his life whose body is simply trying to withstand almost a lifetime of fighting. Bivol shows no such symptoms and his health appears to be improving as he approaches his thirties. In such a close fight, this may be crucial.

Steve Wellings (online editor)

I’ve been coming back to this topic since it popped up on the radar as a possibility. Bivol is a great player who, despite his straightforward style, is arduous to surpass. This is evidenced by sparring partners as well as evidence in the ring. Bivol’s distance judgment and ability to dictate range are exceptional traits.

However, Beterbiev can draw anyone into the fight. The final stages of this fight will be telling. Beterbiev managed to dismantle good fighters in the last third of fights. It’s tough to imagine Bivol going the full 12 rounds without getting hit by something tough.

Although I’ve been leaning towards Bivol lately, I’m coming back to it now Beterbiev scoring KO number 21. It all depends on whether his elderly, weather-damaged form will hold up one last time against the best opponent he has ever faced as a professional.

Daniel Greig (Video Editor)

I truly believe this is the best fight in boxing right now, hands down. And while this is a 50/50 fight, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a one-sided performance from either of these fighters, similar to the Spence vs. Crawford fight.

However, if Bivol is to win this fight, he needs to earn Beterbiev’s respect early, and I don’t think that will happen. I think we’ve seen a few performances from Bivol where he switches off, and that’s something you just can’t do against a ferocious pressure player like Beterbiev. Moreover, while the last time we saw Bivol stoppage was against Zinad, he took several shots in the first round that he simply cannot afford against Beterbiev.

I see Beterbiev slowly breaking down Bivol and stopping him in the later rounds. With that being said, this fight could go any way.

Jordan Pollock (head of content)

Initially, I had a feeling that Bivol would take the crown with a safety-first points win, but now my arm has been twisted by Beterbiev’s KO.

The idea of ​​”winning on safety first” doesn’t seem realistic considering the man on the opposite side is the talented, resilient and masterful Artur Beterbiev – not to mention his 100% KO punching power.

Beterbiev, round 10.

Declan Taylor (senior reporter)

I choose Buffalo win on points. This is one of those predictions that will make you look extremely stupid if Beterbiev just walks through it.

If you’re trying to find someone to beat Beterbiev in terms of attributes, you want someone to give you a chance to annihilate him and go 12 rounds without getting knocked out. You could look at Bivol’s skills and say that’s the guy I want.

Of course, we’ve seen what he can do, his distance control, not his power punching, which is a bit of a concern. If Beterbiev has no respect for his authority, he will just get over it. But we know how well trained he is, how good he is at keeping things at bay when he needs to, boxing on orders and staying switched on.

I think Beterbiev being 39 years elderly and having had two pretty earnest injuries in the last 12 months suggests that his strength is waning, which is strange considering he’s 20-0 with 20 knockouts. Of course, if he gets to Bivol, he will knock him out.

If there’s one person who has the style to just nullify a fight and last 12 rounds, I think it’s Bivol. If Bivol does this, I feel it’s in Bivol’s best interest to make it stink. This is his best chance to win. If this turns into a shooting, he’ll be in trouble.

I’m Farooqi (head of digital department)

We’ve been spoiled with great fights and undisputed fights lately, and this one has the potential to be among the best. This is another fight that boxing fans have been waiting for for years and I can’t wait for Saturday night.

As for who I think will win, I’ve wondered many times over the years since this fight was first widely covered. I was initially a supporter of Beterbiev because of how he performed against opponents in the professional rankings.

However, as Bivol started to rack up some notable wins, I was impressed with his movement, his ring IQ, and how he remained composed and didn’t get sidetracked from his game plan or make too many costly mistakes. So I switched to Bivol and stayed there for a while.

But as the fight got closer, I started to think again that Beterbiev would take it. When you consider his amateur pedigree, how he brutally demolished several top operators at 175 pounds, and his explosive power – a gun to his head – I’d go with Beterbiev.

I expect Bivol to have some early success in this fight, but as they move into the mid to behind schedule rounds, I think Beterbiev’s strength will be the deciding factor and I expect him to extend his knockout streak to 21 fights.

Shaun Brown (Reporter)

Massive fights are best when you can make a powerful case for both boxers to win. And this is exactly the case with Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.

Bivol is potentially a stylistic nightmare for Beterbiev and that’s why I’m not hopeful this will be a great fight. I think Bivol will beat Beterbiev at the beginning because he has to. It doesn’t allow him to start quickly and he can’t stay on the ropes for more than a few seconds.

I can see Bivol gaining the advantage, but it will be worthless because for 36 minutes it is impossible to avoid Beterbiev’s shots. Let’s not forget that Beterbiev doesn’t have to hit you tough to hurt you. He is so powerful.

I think so Beterbiev stops Bivol in round 10. Whatever he lands will take its toll in the second half of the fight and at some point Bivol will fade and it will be talked about at this stage as Beterbiev is one of the best fight finishers in boxing.

Over the last forty years, there have been several fights between British and Irish fighters that have created a legacy that transcends fight nights and will long be remembered by fans as more than just a fight – becoming immortalized in the pantheon of great fights.

In lithe of what could become one of the most iconic British-British world title fights of all time between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley, it seemed appropriate to look back to the history books and relive other monumental British clashes from the last 40 years. years.

In my opinion, this list will feature five of the most memorable, dramatic and fierce world title fights between British and Irish fighters in up-to-date history.

On March 18, 1995, approximately 8,000 fans gathered at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet to see who would become the WBO super middleweight world champion. Undefeated current champion Chris Eubank will fight for this honor, while WBO middleweight champion Steve Collins will be the challenger.

Eubank finished with 15^vol defended the title with a record of 41-0-2. During his reign, the champion took part in many grueling battles. Many believed Eubank was not the same player after what happened to Michael Watson four years earlier. This didn’t stop him from being a dominant champion, but cracks were starting to show.

Up to that point, Collins had been knocking on the door of the massive event for several years and knew he had to make a massive fight when his chance came. Luck was on his side as another Irishman, Ray Close, was scheduled to face Eubank but was not cleared to fight, so Collins was approached. A year earlier, after three unsuccessful attempts, he won the WBO middleweight world title and did not reject any chance to become the world champion in two weight categories – by defeating Eubank, he unlocked recent fighting possibilities that he had never seen before.

“Celtic Warrior” approached the mental war accompanying the prelude to combat in an unconventional way. He claimed that he had hired a professional hypnotist to trick his mind into believing that he was invincible and that he could not lose. The hypnotist even claimed that Collins managed to see punches delivered three times slower than usual and even see a target three times its actual size.

These mind games had a very real and real effect on Eubank, who seemed very concerned about Collins’ claims. It was clear that he was still very emotional about the second fight with Michael Watson. He even threatened to withdraw from the fight and appealed to the supervisory board.

“That’s why I’m scared, that’s why I wanted to cancel the fight, because I’m going into uncharted territory,” Eubank told Sky Sports on fight day. “I don’t know what I’m dealing with tonight.

“You’ve seen what I’ve done in the past. I have proven my heart, as I said before, I don’t want another man to be the father of my children because I am not capable of it. the worst thing that ever happened to me.

When the time finally came for the two to fight, it was a scorching heat in the arena packed with thousands of Irish fans supporting Collins. He performed the theme song “Rocky” and Eubank performed Tina Turner’s customary “Simply the Best” – with an accompanying lithe and pyrotechnics show as part of Eubank’s world tour.

The first rounds were a cautious fight between two very technical counter-attackers. This should not be confused with a non-action fight, however, as both men threw menacing lines with long spear thrusts and counterattacks. Collins had the advantage in the early rounds with his work rate and willingness to attack, using looping left hooks and three-shot combinations.

Eubank usually started slowly, but the fight seemed to be getting out of hand from round to round as Collins outworked him. Eubank seemed to find his rhythm and was potentially looking to attack overdue in the championship rounds after allowing Collins to wear himself out defensively and on the granite chin.

In the eighth round, Collins caught Eubank with his arms at his sides and hit him with a straight right hand to the stomach that knocked the champion down. Eubank jumped back and begged the referee not to let it be a knockdown. While it wasn’t a shot to the chin that sent him to the canvas, it was still a neat shot, earning Eubank eight points.

Both men looked as if they were beginning to feel the frantic pace of the fight that was reminiscent of a game of blitz chess, with both fighters technically gifted enough not to want to give away any obvious advantage, but also fierce enough to look for quick and powerful combinations. The eighth-round knockdown revitalized Eubank, forcing him to take more and more risks as he approached the championship rounds.

In a shocking moment, Collins was caught by the arms as Eubank charged in with a powerful right hand that clipped the chin of the ‘Celtic Warrior’, who was dazed and unable to stop himself from going down. This once again sparked a burst of energy in the ring as Eubank aggressively pursued Collins, who must have known by this point that he needed a knockout to win.

Collins with his wife Gemma after defeating Eubank to become the two-weight world champion. Mandatory pass: Steve Munday/ALLSPORT

Collins fought brilliantly in the championship rounds to survive a brief onslaught from the champion and put in a sensational performance, simply defeating one of the kings of the golden era of British middleweight and super middleweight fighters.

The Irishman defended his recent title six times, including twice against Nigel Benn, further improving his record. He was scheduled to continue fighting Roy Jones Jr in the US, but this never happened and Collins retired as champion.

Read the first part of James Hicken’s series here: Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno’s Cardiff heavyweight classic | Boxing News (boxingnewsonline.net)