The only good thing that came out of the postponement of the planned June 1 bout between unified champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA champion Dmitry Bivol is that now, we still have it to look forward to on Saturday.
It's a classic battle between Beterbiev, the unbeaten IBF-WBC-WBO champion with a perfect 20-for-20 KO record, against Bivol, the unbeaten WBA champion known as "The Canelo Killer."
Best of all, it's not on PPV. It's available in the U.S. as part of an ESPN+ subscription.
From a betting perspective, this fight offers plenty of possibilities. Let's be honest: It's a toss-up fight. I could make a very strong case for Bivol to win, given his boxing ability, his ring IQ and his adaptability in the ring.
But I have leaned ever so slightly toward Beterbiev ever since the fight was made because I believe with all of my heart that Beterbiev is vastly more than a power-punching, seek-and-destroy automaton who moves forward blindly. If that were the case, I'd expect Bivol to win.
I like Beterbiev, though, because not only does he have the kind of power to end any fight with a single shot with either hand at any point in the fight, but he has all-around boxing skill.
At DraftKings sportsbook, Bivol is a slight favorite. He is -145 favorite to win outright, and he's a +115 favorite to win by decision or technical decision. Beterbiev is +120 to win. He's +185 to win by KO/TKO/DQ and +700 to win by decision or technical decision.
The over-under is 10.5 full rounds. Over is -205 and under is +145.
Beterbiev is a legitimate knockout puncher, though Bivol presents the type of problem he hasn't faced often as a pro. Beterbiev has faced elite competition as an amateur, including three bouts with Oleksandr Usyk, now the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
As a pro, the best Beterbiev has faced has been Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Callum Smith and Anthony Yarde. Gvozdyk was elite at the time they met and probably at the best he'd been at any point in his career. Had Beterbiev been simply a straight-line slugger, he'd have moved rings around Beterbiev and probably pounded out a decision.
Beterbiev, though, has terrific footwork and is among the best in the game at cutting off the ring and putting himself in position to punch. When he gets into a confined space, he knows how to place his punches and put them together in combination. So that footwork and cutting off the ring enable him to maximize the thunder in his hands.
Bivol, though, presents plenty of issues. He's always in good condition and so he's able to move much of a round, creating angles and opportunities for himself offensively while blunting his opponent's attack. He keeps a high guard and is adept at picking off punches. You'll rarely see Bivol trapped on the ropes or in a corner, and when his back does hit the ropes, he'll slide quickly away so as to create room.
He also doesn't load up on his punches and thus doesn't leave himself exposed.
It's going to be as highly technical fight and the one who wins will probably be the one who makes the fewer mistakes and makes the better adjustments.
I think Beterbiev is slightly more versatile in that he can box and move if need be while retaining the ability to fight in close quarters and punch as hard as anyone in that division in a long time.
If I can get an elite fighter of Beterbiev's quality at plus money, I'm taking it. So I'll play Beterbiev at +120 to win.
I think Beterbiev wins by late stoppage, but there's that Beterbiev by decision at +700 shouting at me. It's hard to pass on it, especially when Bivol is a hard guy to hurt, let alone stop.
So these are my plays:
• Two units on Beterbiev to win at +120.
• One unit on Beterbiev by decision at +700.
• One unit on over 10.5 full rounds at -205.
I think this fight is going to be a long, technical battle that each man is capable of winning. It doesn't get better than that in boxing, and that's why so many have been looking forward for so long to this match.
Courtesy Queensberry Promotions
WBA champion Dmitry Bivol is 23-0 with 12 KOs.