Dmitry Bivol has squared off against numerous power hitters throughout his distinguished boxing career. As one of the longest-reigning champions today, he has held the WBA light heavyweight title since November 2017, claiming the belt with a first-round knockout of Trent Broadhurst and successfully defending it 11 times.
Bivol has faced formidable punchers like Canelo Alvarez, Joe Smith Jr., and Lenin Castillo. Surprisingly, none of these fighters earned the title of hardest hitter in his experience. Instead, Bivol attributes that distinction to Jean Pascal, the former WBC and lineal light heavyweight champion, whom he outlasted in a 12-round bout back in 2018.
“Jean Pascal is one of the hardest punchers and one of the most dangerous fighters I’ve faced because his punches are fast, sharp, and heavy,” Bivol stated in an interview with talkSPORT.com. He also mentioned Joe Smith as another heavy hitter and noted that he had encountered some hard-hitting sparring partners in Russia, but Pascal tops his list.
That could change soon as Bivol prepares for his undisputed showdown against Artur Beterbiev, the reigning WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight champion, this Saturday. Beterbiev holds a remarkable 100% knockout rate, having stopped all 20 of his opponents, including the durable Callum Smith in his last fight.
Originally scheduled to face Beterbiev on June 1, their bout was postponed due to Beterbiev’s training injury. In the interim, Bivol faced Malik Zinad, securing a victory in six rounds.
Interestingly, Bivol revealed that there is no rematch clause in his contract with Beterbiev. This opens the possibility for a rematch with Canelo, who expressed his desire to fight Bivol again following his unanimous decision loss two years ago. Despite Canelo’s eagerness, Bivol mentioned that there has been no communication from Canelo’s team regarding a potential rematch.
“We don’t have a rematch clause [with Beterbiev], and I haven’t heard from Canelo’s side. Nobody has reached out to discuss this fight,” he confirmed.
