Dmitry Bivol will take on Artur Beterbiev again (Image: undefined)
Boxing enthusiasts have been heaping praise on Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi boxing chief, for putting together what is being hailed as the ‘greatest fight card’ in the history of the sport. On February 22, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will face off in the ring once again to settle their score.
to clinch the undisputed light-heavyweight world championship in October. The match was a high-stakes contest to determine the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
Bivol’s nimble footwork and movement gave him an early advantage, but Beterbiev fought back fiercely in the later rounds, aiming for a knockout. One judge declared the bout a 114-114 draw, while the other two awarded the win to Beterbiev with scores of 115-113 and 116-112.
Also featured on the card, Daniel Dubois will be defending his IBF heavyweight title for the second time against the resurgent Joseph Parker. ‘Dynamite’ aims to continue his impressive streak in the ring after his stunning knockout of Anthony Joshua last September.
Chinese boxing sensation Zhilei Zhang is surprisingly lower down the lineup as he faces Agit Kabayel. In an epic evening of boxing, Shakur Stevenson, a three-weight world champion, will protect his WBC lightweight crown against challenger Floyd Schofield, while Hamzah Sheeraz is set to battle Carlos Adames for the coveted WBC middleweight title.
Daniel Dubois returns after knocking out Anthony Joshua (Image: Getty)
Adding to this historic card is an all-British light-heavyweight showdown between leading contender Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith. The event, dubbed “The Last Crescendo” has been drawing rave reviews from fans on social media. One enthusiastic fan exclaimed: “That’s five main events in one card. Just an out of this world stellar card. I’m looking forward to Buatsi vs Smith the most.. should be a cracker.” Another was blown away, saying: “Best card of all time wtf.”
Yet another chimed in with: “NOW THIS IS WHAT BOXING NEEDS,” while someone else praised: “The best card Riyadh Season has put on by far and that is a statement in itself. Unbelievable card.” Another supporter added: “Might be the greatest boxing card I’ve ever seen.”
With many excited about the prospect of this monumental night of combat, there seems to be one snag in the celebrations. Vergil Ortiz Jr is also pencilled in to take on Israil Madrimov in February, which keen fans will note poses a clash because Madrimov is slated to enter the ring later this very month.
In a surprising turn of events, Ortiz Jr is set to face former WBA champion Madrimov for the WBC’s interim super welterweight title. Ortiz was previously in discussions to fight welterweight champion Jaron Ennis at 154 pounds, but Ennis declined the bout.
Madrimov is scheduled to fight Serhii Bohachuk on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II match on December 21. ESPN reports that the Uzbekistan star must emerge from the fight unscathed before he can resume training for his showdown with Ortiz. And one fan spotted the potential issue, saying: “Madrimov has to get past Bohachuk first which will no doubt be a war and then two months later is expected to get in against Ortiz?”