Dmitry Bivol says he is not sure if he will leave the lightweight heavyweight division if he achieves his goal of defeating unified three-belt champion Artur Beterbiev and becoming undisputed champion this Saturday night in Riyad.

The two obvious choices for Bivol are to stay at lightweight heavyweight and face WBC interim champion David Benavidez or “regular” WBA champion David Morrell. These would be great fights for the fans and would make Bivol good money. They both have power and there is a good chance that Bivol can be knocked out by either of them.

If Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) decides not to stay at 175 to defend his four belts in a rematch with Canelo Alvarez, he could move up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetai for the belt. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh may be interested in a fight between the two.

We don’t know how good Bivol is because he hasn’t fought any killers at 175 pounds and he looks outmatched against bigger fighters. Will he respond well to Beterbiev’s repeated blows, or will he crumble and fall apart?

Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO) could dash Bivol’s big-fight hopes by knocking him out on Saturday night. This would change the dynamics of some possible fights as Canelo has no interest in fighting Beterbiev and it’s understandable why.

Beterbiev would be a bigger problem for Opetai because the Australian doesn’t react well to difficult shots and he has no inside game to speak of. Turki likes Opetaia and a fight with Beterbiev where he could potentially get knocked out wouldn’t be good for his career. This would reduce Opetai’s popularity, perhaps permanently.

“For me, the stripes are very crucial, first of all because I didn’t have them. Maybe when I get these belts, maybe I will change my mind,” Bivol said in a conversation with journalists Stomping areason how he sees world titles as the most crucial thing to him in his boxing career. “Ever since I came into boxing, I wanted to have all the collections of all the belts.”

If Bivol wins, it does not mean that there are no goals for him, because a rematch with Beterbiev cannot be ruled out. This will be of interest to many fans. Moreover, there are challengers like David Benavidez, David Morrell, Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde who would like to earn a title shot against him.

“I didn’t think too much about what would happen after this fight,” Bivol said when asked if he could move to another division if he beat Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed 175-pound champion.

“I need to listen to my body to decide what I want to do next after this fight, and then I can tell you.”

“I feel amazing because I’m going to fight for all the belts, and this opportunity is not available to every fighter. Even good fighters couldn’t be that lucky, but I got this fight,” said Dmitry Bivol Boxing King’s Media that he was given a chance to fight for the undisputed lightweight heavyweight title against Artur Beterbiev.

“I want to make history with my coach,” Bivol said.

Keep working 👊🏻

📸 @Maudsakri @turk_alalshikh | @RiyadhSeason | #riyadseason | #BeterbievBivol pic.twitter.com/lnDhLy7QCt

— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) October 7, 2024

Mike Tyson believes that current boxing king Pound for Pound is a star in his own right, but Terence Crawford is unable to attract a huge audience.

Boxing magazine’s “Baddest Man” says Crawford has struggled to build a significant fan base and compared purses from today to the 1980s, when many of P4P’s Top 50 fighters had huge followings.

The fact that the top fighter in the sport and the number one boxer in today’s rankings was unable to attract the attention of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and himself during their careers is a travesty for Tyson.

In an interview with tennis star Nick Kyrgios before his final fight in Los Angeles, Tyson accused Crawford of not being electrifying enough.

Kyrgios asked Tyson about the differences between his prime and his current crop of talent ahead of his November 15 clash with Jake Paul.

Tyson replied: “You know, it’s a humorous question because of the technology. More people see fighters now than when I was fighting.

“Seeing these players, we made a lot of money fighting for our time. You see, these guys are fighting now. They won’t get ten if… I’m also talking about the youngest ones – Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearn. These little guys, they don’t make that kind of money. These guys were making $15 million in the 1980s. It’s like, I don’t know, like $45 million now. Times are changing and they just can’t keep up [the same money]”

The Novel Yorker, 58, then cited Crawford as an example.

“Look, Terence Crawford in the box, he’s fighting [fought] Errol Smith [Spence]and he’s the best fighter in the world, but he can’t attract 5,000 people. So like you, he has more [to] I have to come [than just] being the best.

“You have to entertain. You have to be electrifying. The best fighters in the world can’t, like I said, beat anyone. They could beat anyone in the world, but they can’t draw 5,000 tickets. You know, it’s because they’re not electrifying.

“The way they make money is because their opponents are very eminent. They have many supporters [on social media]. But there are people; I’m sure they’re talented guys who could beat anyone, but they look like shit. It’s like watching grass grow, you know.

Mike Tyson ‘got his ass kicked, often knocked out’

At this point Kyrgios interjected and said: “Yes. Let’s not mention any names” to try to keep Crawford out of the equation.

In August, Crawford won his match against Israil Madrimov. While the fight appears to have sold well, more questions than answers remain about how many people actually attended and how much they paid for the ticket.

The reported Pay Per View sales also line up perfectly with what Mike Tyson noticed, leaving boxing in the strange position it currently finds itself in when it comes to the recognized best in the world.

Boxing will crown its undisputed featherlight heavyweight champion on Saturday night when Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol collide in Riyad.

They are both at the top of the 175-pound weight class and have been for some time, but separating them is a tough proposition.

There will be countless predictions, analyzes and debates this week about a fascinating 50-50 fight where a robust case can be made for either fighter. But what does the boxing industry think? picked the brains of 14 people, from promoters to fighters to broadcasters.

Below is a low selection. To watch more, click on the video.

Ben Whittaker (featherlight heavyweight and 2020 Olympic silver medalist)

“You will probably see interviews [where] I changed and changed. I was very robust towards Beterbiev [and] Beterbiev will probably keep him. But now I’m back in Bivol and I’m thinking about Bivol. Bivol is adolescent, fresher, stays vigorous, can fight close, can fight long and his fitness is good, so I will lean more towards Buffalo“

Shane McGuigan (Head Coach)

“I’m just thinking Beterbiev is in better shape. Bivol looked really good when he boxed Canelo, but he was inactive for some time and didn’t look good in his last fight. Beterbiev looked a little flat and delicate just before boxing Callum Johnson, and then Johnson dropped him. He wasn’t looking well around this time. Now he has recovered. People may say that the Anthony Yard fight was a competitive fight, but that’s not true. He took his foot off the gas pedal, fought in bursts and was very withdrawn that night. And then Callum Smith… Callum is a very good player, so doing this to Callum Smith… is [Beterbiev] in great shape.

Jim Lampley (Lead Commentator and Expert)

“It’s just a great fight. These are two great technicians. They both have power. I think it’s logical to agree with Beterbiev and gain the advantage in striking power. This doesn’t necessarily mean he will win this fight. Bivol, who defeated Canelo Alvarez, extremely confident, commanding his craft, able to choose other options than those in front of him to continue to find success in the slow rounds. He can win this fight. This is 50-50 fight. I can’t wait to see it.”

Jai Opetaia (IBF world cruiserweight champion)

“It’s an amazing fight. Stylistically, a fighter moving forward against a guy who just cuts corners. It’s amazing. As a fan of boxing and the science of the sport… there is a lot of hype around heavyweight fighters because they hit so demanding, but this is chess match and as a science of the sport of boxing, it’s a great fight, a great matchup, and I’m truly honored to be a part of a great fight like this. Any true boxing fan who knows styles and statistics [knows] this fight is massive.”