Beauty and the beast clash promises fight perfection

Every now and then in boxing, you get a perfect fight. They’re hard to find, and harder to get signed, but they do exist. Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol is one such fight. For all the warranted criticism of Saudi Arabia’s entry into boxing, amid concerns over sportswashing, the realm’s new rulers have undoubtedly delivered match-ups that previously eluded fans. Among those match-ups, of course, one is likelier to find these perfect fights.

- ALEX PATTLE

In May, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk squared off in one of them: the first undisputed heavyweight title fight in 25 years, a meeting of unbeaten, generational talents. But even then, a “perfect” fight is usually just that on paper, and not necessarily in the ring. Fury and Usyk, however, delivered a modern classic, and they may yet do the same in their rematch on 21 December. Overshadowed by that pair of heavyweight blockbusters in Riyadh, sitting between them chronologically and taking place in the same city, is tomorrow’s main event: Beterbiev vs Bivol.

Like Fury vs Usyk 1, it is an undisputed title fight between unbeaten, pound-for-pound talents. Beterbiev, No 6 in the Indy Sport rankings, holds the WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles. Bivol, ranked fifth on our list, is the WBA Super champion. Both fighters are of Russian descent, though Beterbiev now represents Canada and Bivol has Kyrgyzstani heritage.

Yet just as Beterbiev and Bivol’s similarities make for an intriguing dynamic, their differences are equally compelling. The fight could almost be framed as the beauty of Bivol’s work versus the beast that is Beterbiev.