Benavidez Sr: Bivol takes his revenge against Beterbiev


Manager Jose Benavidez Sr. picks Dmitry Bivol to defeat undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their rematch in 31 Days on February 22 in Riyadh.

Jose Sr. says he felt former WBA 175-pound champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) won first fight against Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) by “one point” on Oct. 12 from last year. He sees Bivol doing it again in their rematch next month.

Benavidez Sr. states that Bivol was “faster” and that his “movement” was key in his mind as to why he deserved the victory over Beterbiev. He didn’t mention how shy and reluctant Bivol was to take the fight in the sixth round. He left that part out.

Bivol showed no heart as he ran around the ring, running from the wolf Beterbiev for the entire second half of the contest. Many fans seemed to have decided who would win based on the first six rounds, then fell asleep mentally in the second half as Beterbiev resumed the fight.

Confirmation bias in boxing

It’s called confirmation biasand this happens when people form opinions early on, making hasty judgments about events, such as the Bivol-Beterbiev 1 fight. Those who thought Bivol won made their decision collectively after six rounds and then looked for evidence to support their entrenched beliefs in the second half. They prevented Beterbiev’s dominance as he controlled the fight with his constant pressure.

“I think it will be another close fight. We saw that they both did their best. Both of their styles work for each other, and I believe in the first fight, Bivol won. For this fight, Bivol can win again,” José Benavidez Sr. told Sean Zittel about his thoughts on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch that will take place on February 22.

“He’s a little quicker and has more movement,” Jose Sr. said of Bivol. “Beterbiev hits hard, and he’s probably waiting for that big hit. Bivol hopefully won’t stand in front of him and get hit with a big hit. So, I think it will be the same fight.

“Bivol, I think he won by one point. It was a very close fight. For me it could have been a tie, but they gave it to Beterbiev. I’m not a judge, but I felt he (Bivol) did enough to win this fight,” Benavidez Sr. said.

Benavidez’s stake

If Bivol wins the rematch against Beterbiev, it works out for Jose Benavidez Sr. because his son, “The Mexican Monster,” David Benavidez, is a better match for Bivol. They have fought in the past, and Benavidez reportedly got the better of him with his pressure and volume.

Benavidez wouldn’t do as well against Beterbiev because he hits much harder with his short power punches and is an excellent counterpuncher. The volume that Benavidez depends on to win his fights will leave him at risk of getting caught by Artur and injuring him.

Additionally, Beterbiev goes well to the body and he took advantage of Benavidez’s main weakness in this area. Benavidez doesn’t handle body shots well, and Beterbiev would frequently target that area, hitting him between his bursts to score a knockout.

If Beterbiev is victorious against Bivol on February 22, Benavidez will have to think hard about whether he wants to take that fight or move up to cruiserweight to take on Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

Of course, that’s if “Mexican Monster” Benavidez wins his fight against “regular” WBA light heavyweight champion David Morrell on February 1st. There is a good chance that Morrell will win this fight thanks to his superior power, technical skills and youth.

That would be Morrell facing the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 rematch, leaving Benavidez to decide whether to move up to cruiserweight or be one of several contenders at 175.

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