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Light Heavyweight Atom Bomb Unification Bout: Beterbiev vs. Gvozdyk on October 18

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Montreal, Canada (August 20th, 2019)– The world light heavyweight championship will become more exclusive on October 18, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Liacouras Center, when 17-0 World Boxing Council World Light Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine faces 14-0 International Boxing Federation World Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beberbiev of Russia, now fighting out of Montreal, Canada. The bout will be telecast live by Top Rank Special Edition on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.




With Sergey Kovalev preoccupied with his WBO World Light Heavyweight title defense against Anthony Yarde in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on August 24, 2019, in a few days, Gvozdyk, who won a Bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, and Beterbiev, a 2012 Olympic Quarter Finalist in London, will fight a most interesting unification bout for a possible second unification bout with the winner of Kovalev versus Yarde.




Beterbiev has 14 knockouts in 14 bouts. Gvozdyk has 14 knockouts in 17 bouts. Stylistically, somebody should be the more dominant of two and win the bout outright. The April 1972 World Light Heavyweight WBC and WBA unification bout between Bob Foster and Vicente Rondon was a bomb (see it on YouTube), with Foster decking Rondon twice in the second round and finishing him. If one fighter hits harder than the other between Beterbiev and Gvozdyk, the bout could end early, or produce some rock’em sock’em knockdowns. A technical war would favor the better technician of the two. Beterbiev is favored to win by a close but clear unanimous decision in 12 rounds, but hold onto your seats in what could prove to the be the fight of the year in the electric 175 pounds division!

Gvozdyk will have noted trainer Teddy Atlas in his corner. Beterbiev, with a 100 percent knockout ration, comes forward the killer instinct, and won’t he IBF world title with 27 seconds left in the bout. There will be no safe place for Gvozdyk to hide. Both men will be fighting for their lives, and greater international public recognition. Overall, this is a great matchup.




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Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent
Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent
Robert is the Head Boxing Correspondent for Real Combat Media Boxing since 2013. Robert is also a photographer and ringside reporter for the RCM Tri State region which includes NJ, NY and PA. Robert conducts exclusive interviews, provides historical boxing articles and provides editorial ringside coverage of major boxing events. You can contact or follow Robert on Facebook and by email at [email protected].