Dmitry Bivol says he studied former five-division world champion Sugar Ray Leonard’s fights to make use of his combating type as a template for his undisputed mild heavyweight match in opposition to Artur Beterbiev final Saturday evening in Riyadh.
The place Bivol’s technique of morphing into Leonard 2.0 failed was forgetting to interact with Beterbiev through the championship rounds from 9 via 12. The Sugar Ray-esque type that Bivol copied didn’t permit him to throw sufficient to win any of the ultimate 4 and even the ultimate six rounds. That type ruined Bivol’s probabilities of successful.
Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) believed that the 1976 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray’s strategy to combating, utilizing motion and fast combos, would neutralize the knockout artist Beterbiev’s punching energy. To Bivol’s credit score, it got here near succeeding. He misplaced a slender 12-round majority choice to IBF, WBC, and WBO 175-lb champion Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs)
For your entire battle, Bivol moved, threw jabs and quick combos, and didn’t permit Beterbiev to have a stationary goal for him to unload his nonstop energy photographs. Beterbiev was compelled to comply with Bivol round, and it was tough for him to land something within the first six rounds.
Bivol Used Leonard’s Preventing Fashion
“My favourite fighter is Sugar Ray Leonard. My plan was shifting rather a lot as a result of I used to be watching a number of Ray Leonard fights earlier than this battle, repeatedly,” stated Dmitry Bivol to Struggle Hub TV on how he ready for the Artur Beterbiev battle by watching Sugar Ray Leonard’s fights.
“Hagler Vs. Leonard, Duran vs. Leonard 2nd battle. I used to be impressed by how Leonard was shifting all 12 rounds with out stopping. Typically, if he stops..he does a mixture after which strikes once more. He wasn’t standing [stationary],” stated Bivol.
The Leonard strategy would have labored for Bivol if he had the identical judges that Sugar Ray had for the Marvin Hagler battle as a result of these guys ignored the stress that was being utilized and the a lot tougher photographs that he was getting hit by. Hagler was robbed within the eyes of many followers.
Conor Benn Noticed Beterbiev As Winner
“I’m watching and going, ‘Beterbiev is in command of the battle.’ Nothing that Bivol was throwing again was efficient. He [Beterbiev] was making use of stress. He’s not the quickest of starters, however he breaks his man down,” stated Conor Benn to iFL TV, discussing why he noticed Beterbiev because the winner in opposition to Bivol.
The nonstop stress from Beterbiev wore Bivol down, and his actions drained his batteries. If Bivol had fought like he did in opposition to Canelo Alvarez, he’d have had a greater probability of defeating Beterbiev.
Towards Canelo, Bivol strictly used the in-and-out type. He wasn’t shifting across the ring in countless circles, losing power. Bivol was nonetheless recent within the championship rounds and completed robust. Within the Beterbiev match, Bivol used up his power together with his motion and had nothing left within the tank after six rounds. That’s why Beterbiev took over.
“I consider he performed sufficient and undoubtedly received the second half. Bivol had a number of good moments, however you possibly can undoubtedly see the damage and tear,” stated Benn. “He was slowing down. I do suppose Beterbiev received by a spherical. I feel Beterbiev is a killer. I feel he’s affected person. I feel he’s disciplined.
“The way in which he managed to remain the course. He could also be shedding rounds, however he stayed the course, and he stayed disciplined to do what he’s acquired to do. Fairly a number of of his fights have began that method. He begins sluggish and wears his man down.
“I believed Bivol did nice early on, however you possibly can see him slowing down. I feel there have been three rounds the place he barely threw. His work appeared extra flashy. His work appeared extra flamboyant and extra eye-catching when he threw. However I don’t suppose he threw sufficient to the aggressor. I don’t suppose Bivol performed sufficient to take the belts off him,” stated Benn.
Bivol extremely cellular Sugar Ray Leonard type got here again to hang-out him within the championship rounds in opposition to Beterbiev, as he ran out of fuel, and what little energy was gone on account of his fatigue. All of the motion that Bivol did emptied his fuel tank.
