"Beterbiev will beat the overrated Bivol!" - this somewhat unexpected statement was made by Oleksandr Gvozdik (20-1, 16 KOs), former WBC light heavyweight champion.
The Ukrainian earned his only defeat in the pro ring at the hands of Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs). On June 1 in Saudi Arabia, the Canadian will face Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) in a unification fight for all four bantamweight belts. Gvozdik is banking on his former winner in this confrontation.
"I never fought or sparred with Bivol. We were supposed to meet him in the final of the Universiade in Kazan in 2013, but he withdrew from the fight due to injury, and I won gold then. Bivol has excellent footwork, but it will be difficult for him to counter Beterbiev's power and strength. Especially since Artur is an excellent corner cutter and can shorten the distance. In my opinion, Beterbiev will pin Bivol to the ropes and that's where the fight will take place. His power can't match Canelo's, so Bivol will have to rely on his footwork. I think he won't be able to do that and Beterbiev's power will be crucial in this fight. He will be much bigger and stronger," Gvozdik believes.
"I don't want to be misunderstood, Bivol is very good, but a bit overrated because some even consider him untouchable. Besides, Beterbiev belongs to the type of fighter who probably won't show too much respect for his opponent in the ring and won't be afraid of his reputation. I had the opportunity to see for myself the strength and determination of Artur. If the fight had gone the full distance, I would have bet on Bivol winning on points, but I don't believe Beterbiev won't be able to break him down. He gets his opponents down, and it will be the same this time. Bivol will have a very difficult night," added the former champion, who could face David Benavides in his next fight, in an interview with ProBox TV.
