Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 - The Last Crescendo

[Gooner]

Artur Beterbiev(c) vs Dmitry Bivol 2 -Undisputed light heavyweight title

 

Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole - WBO heavyweight interim title

Shakur Stevenson(c) vs  Josh Padley -WBC lightweight title

Carlos Adames(c) vs Hamzah Sheeraz -WBC middleweight title

Vergil Ortiz Jr(c) vs Israil Madrimov - WBC world interim super welterweight title

Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel - WBC interim heavyweight title

Joshua Buatsi(c) vs Callum Smith - WBO light heavyweight interim title

We have this monster card coming up this Saturday from 16:00pm. 

Here we go with the rematch that had to happen next after their first meeting last October. The first fight was fascinating, technically at a high level, Beterbiev pushing forward, putting the pressure on, Bivol on the back foot using his boxing skills and fighting with fire when on the inside and having no choice but to throw combinations. There was barely a clinch in the entire fight, the ref rarely having to seeprate them and both having good moments throughout the 12 rounds. The punching stats all across the board were very even and it was a hard fight to score with it being so evenly matched. I had Beterbiev winning by 2 but I couldn't have argued if the scores were flipped around in the favour of Bivol. I'm expecting a similar fight, but both to be better, Bivol to do what he did in the first fight, but trying to be more aggressive, let his hands go more as he was having succes when he did, he just didn't do as often as he would have wanted, because of not wanting to take the risk of trying too much and getting landed on the chin by Beterbiev but he'llrun a big risk if he does so. Bivol's guard in the first first was fantastic, but you know wherever Beterbiev hits you it hurts and I expect him to do more of the same but to go to the body more earlier as  I felt like he didn't do it anywhere near enough in the first fight. I'm expecting it to be a better fight and another close decision, but like in the first encounter I thought Beterbiev would win it on a close points decision and I go with him to do so again tonight. 

Final predictions:

Beterbiev Points

Parker Points

Stevenson KO/TKO 

Sheeraz Points

Madrimov Points

Kabayel Points

Buatsi Points 

Edited February 22, 2025 by Gooner
Updated

[Egg Shen]

Where's the wand-esque write up Gooner? 

At least get the poster in here:

This 100% deserves its own thread though, so nice one!

[Egg Shen]

Stevenson/Schofield is off.

Floyd Schofield has fallen ill and is in hospital. Lots of bullshit online about the withdrawal.

Stevenson now fights Brit, Josh Padley.

A monumental mismatch. Padley was boxing 6 rounders before he shocked Mark Chamberlain on a Saudi card last year.

[NeverYield]

Beterbiev beats Bivol

Dubois beats Parker 

Stevenson beats whoever he now fights, Moussa maybe?

Sheeraz and Adames is a tough one, don't sleep on Adames, but I pick Sheeraz after a hard few rounds 

I like Ortiz Jr but I fancy Madrimov 

Kabayel beats Zhang 

And Buatsi beats Smith 

 

[Egg Shen]

Houston, we have a problem.

 

[Egg Shen]

Houston, we have a solution...

 

[NeverYield]

Very strange happenings over there in the last couple of days,two fighters out one reckons he was poisoned/ill and one ill

Bakole is a cracking replacement though 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

The King of the sparring stories steps in to Dubois's shoes. A very different type of fighter for Parker to face. 

[wandshogun09]

Solid save but fuck’s sake. You just knew this card was too good to be true. 

[Egg Shen]

41 minutes ago, NeverYield said:

Very strange happenings over there in the last couple of days,two fighters out one reckons he was poisoned/ill and one ill

 

Not to mention the recent UFC event there where several fighters complained about strange paint fumes making them ill.

Pass the foil.

[Egg Shen]

11 hours ago, wandshogun09 said:

Solid save but fuck’s sake. You just knew this card was too good to be true. 

Its been dramatic. A sign of the crazy times we are in though that they found replacements for both fights on such notice, on a non-Riyadh Season card im 99% sure both fights would have been pulled.

 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Everyone wants that sweet sweet Turki sportswashing money. 

[Egg Shen]

This tweet sums this up:

 

[Egg Shen]

New running order poster:

 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Shakur to put everyone to sleep before the main event. There is no way I stay awake through that.