Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez? Taken out. Callum Smith? Crushed. Canelo Alvarez? Out pointed. With all of the top names out of the picture, both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are determined to face each other next.
If they eventually do get it on, Zhilei Zhang will be glued to his television screen. The gigantic heavyweight contender has been keeping tabs on both fighters. He doesn’t expect either man to move up to his domain but he simply enjoys watching them fight. When asked to go from being a fan to a prophet, Zhang thought to himself for a little while before choosing his side.
“That’s a great fight,” admitted Zhang during a recent interview with BoxingScene.com. “They’re both great fighters but Beterbiev will hurt him and probably end this fight with a knockout.”
Violently stopping fighters is what Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) does best. Soon after he ran over Callum Smith, he sat at the post-fight podium and made his feelings known that he wants Bivol next. It isn’t anything personal, but Beterbiev already holds the IBF, WBO, and WBC titles, making Bivol’s WBA strap the final piece of the undisputed puzzle.
With Zhang going against him, it wouldn’t be the first time that Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) was doubted. Heading into his 2022 matchup with Canelo Alvarez, few were giving him a chance. Even after picking up the win, many considered his immediate showdown against Zurdo Ramirez a coin flip. Yet, it was just another easy day at the office.
To a certain extent, Bivol goes about his business entirely differently than Beterbiev. He doesn’t stalk his opponents, looking to take them apart. He enjoys using angles, footwork, and a high ring IQ.
All of that is cute and effective but against Beterbiev, Zhang doesn’t believe it will matter.
“I think Beterbiev’s power will overwhelm Bivol’s in-and-out footwork and his skillset. I think Beterbiev is just way too strong.”