Can Dmitry Bivol Handle Pressure Against Beterbiev?

Dmitry Bivol will face a lot of pressure in his fight against Artur Beterbiev on October 12th. It will be interesting to see how well he adjusts to being in the spotlight, a favorite in the eyes of many, and fighting the biggest puncher of his career.

Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs), the WBA light heavyweight champion, has only had one big fight that gained attention: against Canelo Alvarez in 2022. He was just the opponent who was expected to lose that fight.

On October 12th, Bivol will face IBF, WBC, and WBO 175-lb champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The fight will be shown live on DAZN PPV and have a large supporting cast.

In Bivol’s last four fights, he’s beaten these fighters:

– Malik Zinad
– Lyndon Arthur
– Gilberto Ramirez
– Canelo Alvarez

Much of the reason Bivol is viewed as the favorite against Beterbiev is his win over Canelo in May 2022. Fans, media, and oddsmakers were impressed with Bivol’s win against Canelo and believe that’s a signal that he’ll do the same against Beterbiev.

Another reason why Bivol is the favorite is Beterbiev’s age. He’s 39 and coming off a ruptured knee meniscus. He’s hurried back after having surgery on his knee, and it’s questionable whether he will be at full strength.

“Beterbiev is used to being the man on the stage. He fights in Canada; he’s selling out the shows. He’s the headliner,” said Ariel Helwani to DAZN Boxing, discussing the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight.

“Bivol sometimes shies away from the big stage. He fights chief support. Other than the Canelo fight, it didn’t feel like the show was built around him, and he was a bit of a bit player against Canelo.

“So, there’s going to be a lot of pressure come that fight week. Beterbiev is used to that pressure. He’s used to the spotlight. I’m wondering how Bivol handles all that. There was no pressure on him whatsoever.

“That was all about Canelo. The story about that fight was Canelo moving up. He was just a bit-player,” Helwani said about Bivol’s fight against the superstar Canelo in 2022. Now, this is, Bivol-Beterbiev. It’s 50-50. There are hardcore Bivol fans, and there are hardcore Beterbiev fans.

“I’m just curious how he [Bivol] deals with it. I think it actually helps him that it’s in Riyadh. It’s a little bit different than being in front of 50,000 people or even in front of 25,000 people in Montreal, where Beterbiev is beloved. I’m just curious to see how he rises to the occasion. I’m backing him as well.”

Bivol should handle the pressure he’ll be under next week fine. It’s not going to intimidate him into not throwing where it could affect him by fighting too hard and choosing to brawl with Beterbiev on Saturday night. That’s not a good idea for Bivol to do that because he’s not build for going to war with Beterbiev, and he won’t last long in that kind of fight.

“I just think boxing, the age, and the fact that he’s been more active and not injured, it going to be a huge factor in his favor. Bivol by decision,” said Helwani about Bivol.

Beterbiev’s age and recent knee injury are issues that could make it difficult for him to win. However, in terms of activity, the two fighters are equal. They’ve fought once in 2024 and 2023. So, there’s no advantage for Bivol in this area.

“Bivol by unanimous decision,” said Joseph Parker, the former WBO heavyweight champion.

“Unanimous decision,” said Darren Barker, predicting a win by Bivol.

“That’s a clean sweep because you know I’m picking Bivol,” said DAZN commentator Ade Oladipo.

Ready for fight week 💪 @ABeterbiev #BeterbievBivol | #RiyadhSeason | Oct 12, live on DAZN | 🎥 @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/NJ8RCXe6m5

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 1, 2024