WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol 21-0 (11) is hopefully that a four belt unification bout against WBC, WBO and IBF champion Artur Beterbiev 19-0 (19) will happen in the northern summer next year.
The two best 175-pound boxers in the world have long been linked to a mouthwatering clash that would crown the winner the Ring Magazine world champion.
The sticking point to making the fight remains broadcast rights. Beterbiev’s promoter Bob Arum has insisted that if the fight is made it will happen under his promotional company Top Rank and be televised on ESPN. Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants the show to be a Matchroom Boxing production broadcast on DAZN.
The 32-year-old Bivol has not boxed since last November when he scored a wide points win over previously undefeated contender Gilberto Ramirez 45-1 (30) in Abu Dhabi. The Mexican southpaw is a former WBO super middleweight champion.
That victory came six months after Bivol’s breakthrough win over Mexican superstar and undisputed 168-pound champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 60-2-2 (39) by unanimous decision.
Bivol has long coveted a shot at fellow Russian Beterbiev, 38.
“Every time I hope for the next fight, but he, of course, has a fight,” Bivol said to FightHubTV. “I ask my team how we can.”
Bivol wants to take a tune-up fight before stepping into the ring against Beterbiev if that fight can be made.
“I like it. I need to make a fight [in January] and then make a fight in June or July. It’s better June,” he said.
Beterbiev will need to win his next bout too if he wants to keep the dream of becoming undisputed champion alive. He will defend his three straps against England’s Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith 29-1 (21) at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada on January 13.
The pair were originally scheduled to fight on August 19 before Beterbiev suffered a jaw infection due to dental work that pushed the bout back.
Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov remains optimistic that they can come to terms with Team Beterbiev.
“Right now there’s a medical situation,” Kornilov explained to FightHubTV. “As far as I know Beterbiev had some kind of jaw injury, so that pushes things off. He was supposed to fight in August, now it’s January. It sounds like it’s not a big deal but now we have to fight in December or January.
“As far as I know, some of the conversations I had with Matchroom and Top Rank regarding this, as far as I know, if all this comes together, they’re ready to do it after Ramadan next year. So if he wins, if he beats Callum Smith in January, I think there will be very serious discussions about this fight happening in May, June or July of next year.
“It would be perfect timing.”
The fight, says Kornilov, could head to the Middle East.
“We’re trying to see if the Saudi Arabians, the UAE, Abu Dhabi – that’s almost our second home after that big fight,” Kornilov said.
“We got very close with all the guys in Abu Dhabi. We’re hoping we can come back there. This can be one of the biggest fights in boxing, that would be a great location as well, considering their appetite for big, big fights.”
