The undefeated Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) knocked out all his opponents in the ring. His latest victim was Marcus Brown, who was stopped by the 36-year-old Russian in the ninth round on December 17 in Montreal.
But for all the intrigue Beterbiev presents in the ring, Arum can't say the same about Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), an experienced and talented fighter who owns the WBA belt but whose reputation falls with consistent lackluster performances. Bivol burst into the American boxing arena in 2017, but since then, his strategy of defense and safety has not attracted fans' attention.
For this reason, despite Beterbiev's penchant for chilling early victories, Arum is not going to campaign for a fight with Bivol anytime soon, recently bluntly stating that he simply considers Bivol "boring."
“This fight is nothing special,” Arum told IFL TV. - Bivol is a very good boxer. But a rather boring fighter. "
In December last year, Bivol won a dominant victory over Umar Salamov in Yekaterinburg. Once again, he failed to impress his critics by refusing to pursue an early victory.
The unification fight between Beterbiev and Bivol will be difficult to carry out anyway, at least on paper. Bivol works with rival company Matchroom, which has a long-term relationship with DAZN. Top Rank Arum has an exclusive agreement with ESPN.
Either way, Arum has other options for Beterbiev, most notably Joe Smith Jr., the WBO title holder. Smith (27-3, 21 KOs) will defend his title against Briton Callum Johnson (20-1, 14 KOs) on January 15 in Verona, USA, and Arum is looking forward to seeing it.
“You know, again, people are looking at light heavyweight and want to see shootouts,” said Arum. - For example, as it was in the last fight between Beterbiev and Brown. What will be the upcoming fight between Smith and Callum Johnson. Bivol is a great boxer, but very boring to look at. "