On October 12th, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will face off in a 12-round bout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Surprisingly, the fight will not be a pay-per-view event, but will instead be broadcast on ESPN+. This decision, announced by Top Rank, has stirred up some controversy in the boxing world. While ESPN+ will showcase the main event between Beterbiev and Bivol, the rest of the card will be aired on a different network.
The matchup between IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and WBA champion Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) promises to be an intense battle. Despite oddsmakers favoring Bivol, hardcore boxing fans consider this fight a 50-50 showdown. Bivol has not faced an opponent of Beterbiev’s caliber before, and there are doubts about his ability to withstand the Russian knockout artist’s power.
In the undercard of the event, Shakur Stevenson will defend his WBA lightweight title against Joe Cordina. However, the decision to feature this matchup on pay-per-view has faced backlash from fans. Stevenson’s recent performances have been lackluster, and many believe that facing Cordina, who was knocked out in his last fight, is not a competitive challenge for him. The reluctance of fans to pay for this portion of the event highlights the dissatisfaction with Stevenson’s recent fights.
The undercard for the pay-per-view section of the event includes fights between Chris Eubank Jr. and Kamil Szeremeta, Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke II, Jai Opetaia and Jack Massey, Skye Nicolson and Raven Chapman, and Mohammed Alamel and Jose Gonzalez. While these matchups offer a variety of styles and talents, the overall sentiment among fans is that the PPV portion of the event lacks the excitement and competitiveness expected from such a high-profile event.
The Beterbiev vs Bivol matchup and its surrounding undercard have sparked debates and controversies within the boxing community. The decision to broadcast the main event on ESPN+ and feature certain fights on pay-per-view has raised questions about the value and entertainment factor of the event. As the fight date approaches, the boxing world eagerly anticipates the outcome of these matchups and how they will shape the future of the sport.