BETERBIEV VS. BIVOL 2 FULL CARD VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS, SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION & POST PRESSER
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Feb. 23, 2025) —In the best boxing card of 2025 so far, held on Saturday, February 2025, at The Venue Riyadh Season, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, televised worldwide on DAZN, heavyweights Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker scored spectacular knockouts which raised their stock in the heavyweight division towards their campaigns for a shot at the undisputed world heavyweight title held by Oleksandr Usyk, who was at ringside with Anthony Joshua. The heavyweight knockouts most certainly ‘stole the show’ in what was an overall action-packed card of exciting boxing action.
In the main event, Dmitriy Bivol regained the undisputed world light heavyweight title, for months after he lost it, and triggered a probable trilogy rubber match, with a majority 12-round decision over Artur Beterbiev. Bivol, 24-1 with 12 knockouts, Indio California by way of Kyrgyzstan, had to work hard on the outside with superior footwork and combinations to outwork Beterbiev, and still needed to win the last three championship rounds on the scorecards down the stretch to pull it out. Beterbiev landed some solid power shots in close in the early rounds, forcing Bivol to survive an early trip to hell, before asserting command with ring generalship in the middle rounds. One judge had it 116-112 Bivol. Another had it 115-113 Bivol. The third judge had it 114-114 a draw. In their previous meetings, the three scorecards were exactly the same at Kingdom Arena last October 2024, except Beterbiev was the one ahead on two scorecards. Go figure. Beterbiev worked better on the inside in their first meeting. At age 40, Beterbiev can still probably stop the rest of the division. Beterbiev is built like a solid stone wall.
Bivol and Beterbiev, 21-1 with 20 knockouts, Montreal, Canada by way of the Russian Federation, are the best competitors the light heavyweight division has seen in decades, with only perhaps 30-0 David Benavidez, the WBC Interim champion, available to offer serious opposition to either Bivol, Beterbiev, and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Bivol and Beterbiev will fight Benavidez. Canelo Alvarez, the 168-pound world champion has thus far selected IBF Super Middleweight champion William Scull over Benavidez, who moved up to light heavyweight for Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell.
Carlos Adames fought to a split decision draw Hamzah Sheeraz to retain the World Boxing Council World Middleweight title. Adames, 24-1-1 with 18 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada by way of the Dominican Republic, went to war with Sheeraz, 21-0-1, 17 knockouts, Ilford, Essex, United Kingdom. Sheeraz had height and reach advantage and circled round and round behind the jab on the move. Adames had good left hooks and over hand rights. Sheeraz did good head and body work, but slowed in the later rounds, enabling Adames to go to the body and get back into the bout. Sheeraz’ corner appeared concerned he was behind on the cards over the last few rounds, yet Adames came out as the aggressor in the twelfth round and clearly won it.
Oddball Jones scoring meant the bout was scored essentially based on how you viewed and interpreted it. One judge had Adames winning 118-110. Another judge had Sheeraz winning 115-114. The third judge had it 114-114 a draw.
Vergil Ortiz Jr., 23-0, 21 knockouts, Grand Prairie, Texas, outclassed and outpointed Israil Madrimov, 10-2-1 with seven knockouts, Indio, California by way of Uzbekistan, over 12 rounds to retain the World Boxing Council Interim World Super Welterweight title. Judges had it 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111 for Ortiz. If Madrimov had won one more round it would have been a draw. Madrimov started well behind his job for the first three rounds, then fell victim to Ortiz’ over hand right power shots for most of the bout. Both fighters put in on the table in the final two rounds, but Ortiz was working the body of Madrimov effectively throughout. The other 154 pounds titular world champions, Sebastian Fundora, Terence Crawford, Bakhram Murtazaliev, could be on the horizon next for Ortiz. Crawford is on hiatus for his big money bout later in 2025 with Canelo Alvarez, waiting for the outcome of Canelo’s 168 pounds unification world title bout with William Scull.
Agit Kabayel, 26-0 with 18 knockouts, Bochum, Germany, the WBO NABO Heavyweight and WBC Continental Americas regional titleholder, won the interim World Boxing Council World Heavyweight title with a sixth-round knockout of Zhilei Zhang, now 27-3-1 with 22 knockouts, Bloomfield, New Jersey, by way of the People’s Republic of China. Head shots do not seem to bother the 6’6″ 287 pounds southpaw, so Kabayel took the approach one notch higher than other Zhang opponents. Rocky Marciano style, Kabayel went to work on the arms, body and liver with pinpoint targeted power shots. With a good defense, Kabayel eventually had Zhang gasping for air with his hands down in round two, unable to cope with this sort of precision power shot boxing.
In the fifth, Kabayel got clipped with a short overhand left headshot and went down briefly, and got up unhurt, indicating his corner had a contingency plan in effect and had anticipated several knockdowns owing to Zhang’s incredible power, if not accuracy. Kabayel went back to work.
In the sixth round, Zhang took a standing count after two left-handed liver shots had him in serious trouble. Kabayel was ahead with over 140 power shots landed, more than twice the total of Zhang entering round six, and really broke him down relentlessly. It was like Rocky Marciano’s ghost, having risen from the canvas against Archie Moore, more determined and more on the attack but as Kabayel in accurate accelerated motion.
A right-hand body shot to the solar plexus, followed by a pinpoint left side power shot to the liver sent the Chinese colossus down on his right knee, where referee Mark Lyson counted him out at 2:29 of the sixth round, at age 41, just a beaten old man whose career suddenly hit the end of the road.
After a cautious first round feeling out first round, WBO interim World Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, 36-3 with 24 knockouts, Auckland, New Zealand, landed a Rocky Marciano style power shot, a powerful overhand right to the top of challenger Martin Bakole’s head, who tumbled backward in a delayed reaction. Bakole, 21-2 with 16 knockouts, Airdrie, Scotland, United Kingdom, by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, beat the count but walked away from referee Steve Gray with his back turned towards a corner. Bakole’s trainer, Billy Nelson, then climbed onto the ring apron and told the referee (who was still in the process of counting the DAZN dazed Bakole out) to halt the contest at 2:17 of the second round. Bakole appeared willing to continue when he turned around. However, by the time Bakole turned around to face the referee, the bout was already over.
World ranked Dereck Chisora, in a post card interview ringside, noted Bakole showed up in Riyadh weighing a career high 310 pounds, after having traveled more than 24 hours straight by airplane, took this bout with no training camp, and stepped into the ring with WBO Interim World Heavyweight title holder Joseph Parker as a last minute stand-in for the ill Daniel Dubois, who did not clear the Saudi Arabian Boxing Commission. Chisora was adamant approving an untrained opponent like Bakole at the last minute to protect the show was dangerous and should never be allowed. Allowing a trained opponent hoping for the last minute opportunity is another story. This reporter agrees with Dereck Chisora.
Callum Smith, 31-2 with 22 knockouts, Liverpool, United Kingdom, outpointed Joshua Buatsi, now 19-1 with 13 knockouts, London, United Kingdom, by way of Ghana, to win he interim WBO World Light Heavyweight title. Smith used short head and body shots over the first two rounds. Buatsi landed flurries and body shots over the next three rounds to return the favor. Smith landed left hooks, Buatsi landed combinations and began to win rounds down the stretch as Smith tired. However, Smith appeared to win the 12th and final round, with both men exchanging hooks, one of which sent Buatsi’s mouthpiece flying. Scorecards of 116-112 and 115-113 for Smith were more in order than the ridiculous 119-110 third scorecard for Smith, considering the action and pace of this bout at the world-class level.
Shakur Stevenson, 23-0 with 12 knockouts, Houston, Texas, retained the World Boxing Council World Lightweight title, dropping British last-minute substitute electrician Josh Padley, now 15-1 with four knockouts, Armthorpe, United Kingdom, three times in the ninth round with pinpoint body shots. Padley was in top condition and exchanged bravely and gamely. Stevenson knew his limited opponent’s weakness, and broke him down calmly and patiently. There was no sense continuing the lopsided bout at that point.
In two undercard prospects bouts which opened the card, super lightweight Ziyad Almaayouf, 7-0-1 with one knockout, Los Angeles, California by way of Saudi Arabia, won a six-round decision over 6-1 Brazilian trial horse Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira by a score of 60-54 scored by referee Howard Foster. 3-0 lightweight prospect Mohammed Alakel outpointed 8-43-3 Nicaraguan journeyman Engels Gomez over six rounds, scored 60-54 by referee Kieran McKann.
Dmitry Bivol became the undisputed light heavyweight world champion with a majority decision over Artur Beterbiev Saturday evening at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Four months after suffering a razor-thin defeat to Beterbiev, Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) returned the favor, avenging the lone blemish on his record with a tactical approach that paid dividends in the mid-to-late rounds.
Bivol looked to box early, but Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) started fast, punishing him with body shots that had a visible effect in the third and fourth rounds. He continued to press in the fifth and sixth, peppering Bivol with his signature short, thudding shots.
Then, as if by design, Bivol turned the tide in the second half. The seventh and eighth rounds showcased vintage Bivol as he maneuvered in and out of range, pumping his jab and countering with crisp straight punches. His momentum surged in rounds nine and ten, as his movement and counters made him a difficult target.
Beterbiev, sensing the fight slipping away, emptied the tank in the championship rounds. He pressed forward and hurt Bivol in the 12th, sweeping the final round on all three scorecards. But it was too late.
One judge had it 114-114, while the other two scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Bivol.
Bivol said, “I’m just so happy. I went through a lot during the last years.”
“To be honest, I lost, and I felt a little easier, maybe. I didn’t have too much pressure like the time before. And I just wanted to work from the first round till the end of the 12th round.”
“The difference was me. I was better. I was pushing myself more. I was more confident and lighter. And I just wanted to win so much today.”
Beterbiev said, “I don’t want to talk about the decision. It’s tough. I congratulate Bivol and his team.”
“I don’t know {what was different}. I think this fight was better than the first time.”
“Actually, I didn’t even want the second fight. It wasn’t my choice. But, no problem. We can do the third fight.”
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