WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev are set to clash at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 12. However, ahead of their much-anticipated clash, social media is abuzz with fight footage from the past, featuring Canelo Alvarez and Bivol. 

Ahead of their historic clash, which will see the first undisputed light heavyweight champion since Roy Jones Jr. in 1999, Boxing n BBQ highlighted a clip from Bivol’s fight against Canelo. And boy, has the clip raised some questions. What’s in the clip? Well, despite losing the fight back in 2022, Canelo caught Bivol with some good shots. So, the question raised here is, can Bivol survive similar shots against Beterbiev?

Can Bivol Handle the Heat?

Earlier today, Boxing n BBQ wrote on X, “Can Bivol take these shots from Beterbiev? 20-0 20 KOs should be interesting,” alongside a clip where Canelo can be seen catching Bivol with an uppercut and a left hook to the body. While Bivol got out of it relatively unscathed against Canelo, Beterbiev is a completely different animal. Not only that. Canelo, at the time, was also suffering from a left wrist injury, for which he underwent a corrective surgery later in 2022. This means his punches were less painful than usual. 

Known for his bone-crushing power, Beterbiev has secured an unbelievable 100% knockout ratio in his 20 fights. This seems to be the center of all the worry—as fans speculated what would happen if Beterbiev, who can end fights with one shot, catches Bivol with similar punches during their match on October 12th. As is often the case, the boxing world had a plethora of opinions on the matter. 

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol debate ensues

The fight has quite the hype behind it, so it didn’t take long for people to clamor behind the post. One user felt the effects of Beterbiev’s shot compared to Canelo’s is hard to deduce. “Tough. Canelo had hand/wrist injuries during that fight. Beterbiev will be healthy,” the user wrote. However, even Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training, which resulted in the fight being postponed from May. 

Meanwhile, this user was absolutely sure about his take. “Not that left to the body,” the user wrote, referencing Canelo’s left hook to the body in the clip. A perfectly placed body shot can shock the system and render a boxer unable to function. 

Another user felt Beterbiev wouldn’t get the opportunity to land those shots. “They wouldn’t land. Canelo is probably 10x faster and smarter [than Beterbiev],” the user commented. However, it only takes that one punch, and Beterbiev specializes in those punches. 

Someone else expressed worry for Bivol, highlighting Beterbiev’s uppercuts. The user remarked, “Beterbiev uppercuts are nasty. I don’t think so, fam.” The only solution is for Bivol to stay light on his feet and maintain pressure. 

The next user felt Beterbiev wouldn’t be able to replicate Canelo’s speed. “Beterbiev is not as fast as Canelo tho,” wrote the user. It would be interesting to see how either fighter adapts on the fly when they finally fight. 

It appears the boxing world is pretty divided on whether Artur Beterbiev can catch Dmitry Bivol as Canelo Alvarez did during their 2022 fight. However, Canelo’s tactics didn’t work against Bivol, so perhaps Beterbiev would take a different approach. Only time will tell. Who are you cheering for next weekend?