“Boxing disgraces it’s name” – Fans rage as Artur Beterbiev wins ‘robbery’ majority nod over Dmitry Bivol, becomes undisputed champion

Undisputed Artur Beterbiev wins controversial majority nod over Dmitry Bivol in a 12-round showdown; scorecard draws ire from fanbase.

“Boxing disgraces it’s name” – Fans rage as Artur Beterbiev wins ‘robbery’ majority nod over Dmitry Bivol, becomes undisputed champion

Artur Beterbiev defeats Dmitry Bivol via majority nod (Source: X)

One of the biggest Light Heavyweight boxing matches in the sport’s history — Dmitry Bivol vs. previously unbeaten WBA belt-holder Artur Beterbiev took shape. The Beterbiev vs. Bivol scrap had long laying implications, as it was to crown the undisputed light heavyweight of the 4-belt era. The bout from inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw Beterbiev win the bout amid much controversy.

After Oleksandr Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight of this modern era, all eyes were on Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Both kept rugged intentions to decide the #1 guy in the 175-lb division. The fan clique was looking for pointers to exploit. ‘The Silent Assassin,’ with his consolidated WBC, IBF, and WBO lineup, had much on the line. Hence, both boxers performed as such.

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Bivol stayed tight with his patented shots and hit nine jabs in just the opening frame—a record highest for any foe. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) got a few final exchanges in. But the opponent teed off better. Bivol used his movement to control the first half of the bout, but Beterbiev came on with his pressure in the second. He really opened up R4 onwards, where he bullied Bivol from his pocket.

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By R7, ‘Assassin’ had his corner telling him that “everybody tires” in the ring; so would the Russian rival. Bivol ruined some chances of winning by moving so much in the championship rounds 9-12. He even had to tee off power shots just to check range. Going into the finals, the scores were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112. Beterbiev snagged a majority decision win; the matter has gone immensely viral.

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Fight fans react to Dmitry Bivol losing out on tight scoring and possible robbery

Tyson Fury vs. Usyk? The short-put strike fest to decide the undisputed heavyweight went bananas! Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence? Fantastic for real. But did Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev hold a candle to those scraps? This was indeed a true masterclass up to some extent. However, some pitfalls are included.

Fans react to Artur Beterbiev winning undisputed supremacy over 'cautious' Dmitry Bivol
Fans react to Artur Beterbiev winning undisputed supremacy over ‘cautious’ Dmitry Bivol (Source: X/ringside24.com)

Both were undefeated pros; this was a clash of equals. WBA champion Bivol had set quite a groundwork before locking on to IBF, WBC, and WBO roost-ruler Beterbiev. He had 12 big wins via KO of his own. Dmitry Bivol also settled in for a pay-per-view spotlight after this. Since old foe and current face Canelo Alvarez had wished for a rematch should he win, not against Beterbiev, though. Here are a few reactions after his closely fought loss:

Artur Beterbiev posed his own pile of challenges, with 20 KOs in 20 fights and a perfect setup since 2017. Consequently, he channeled constant aggression in later frames. Beterbiev had Bivol shelling up, even clinching down from the 10th round after some heavy shots.

While his performance was good, Dmitry Bivol wasn’t bad enough to fade out via majority decision when he effectively outboxed Beterbiev. Fans have said as much. There was a case to be made for a draw. Beterbiev pressed throughout with aggression but landed a lot on the gloves.

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Conversely, Bivol threw fewer punches but was more accurate. Hence, fans have cried robbery for Bivol fading out. A top reaction (@RomfordTipster) even noted that again, “boxing disgraces its name with corrupt judges scorecards.” Beterbiev snagged a decision over Dmitry Bivol with serious controversy, but did he deserve it? As such, this will remain a hot topic for a while.