It’s a treat for boxing fans this weekend as Riyadh Season presents the Last Crescendo pay-per-view in one of the biggest cards of the year. Former WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will headline the event with a chance at redemption against the undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia. But before he gets inside the ring for another scrap with his fellow compatriot, Bivol made a surprising revelation during a recent interview.

There might be a rivalry between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, but there’s also mutual respect, as it seemed from the former’s statement. During the interview, Bivol claimed that the reigning champion packs a lot of power in his punches, which is certainly no surprise given his 20 knockouts in 21 fights. But Dmitry Bivol also emphasized that Beterbiev is the only fighter he’s faced who throws his punches in a pretty ‘effortless’ manner.

“He [Beterbiev] has a very hard punch without putting effort… I got harder punches but the people also put more effort than him,” Dmitry Bivol told ‘Fight Hub TV’ while showcasing his competitive spirit by claiming he’s the better one between the two. He even named a couple of other fighters, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr., and lauded them for their technical prowess, precision, and power punching.

“You know, [Jean] Pascal also. He’s [got] very sharp punches. Joe Smith [Jr.], he’s also a heavy puncher. Like, slow [and] heavy,” Dmitry Bivol further stated. But how can we forget Canelo Alvarez, one of the faces of boxing? The first and only undisputed super middleweight champion, who’s transitioned into a light heavyweight, has 39 knockouts to his name, so, of course, Bivol included him on the list of the hardest punchers he has faced. However, the 34-year-old claims ‘Saul’ tries too hard compared to Artur Beterbiev. “Canelo is also a hard puncher, but he’s putting more effort than Beterbiev.” 

Knowing that Artur Beterbiev really hits hard, Dmitry Bivol has left no stone unturned in his preparation for the rematch. Having lost the title, the 34-year-old has taken extreme measures in his training methods, as he revealed in another interview. Here’s what Bivol had to say.

Dmitry Bivol reveals training details ahead of the Artur Beterbiev rematch

Dmitry Bivol uses no novel methods as he prefers to “run and work,” which is kind of a traditional way of training. But the most unusual method that helps him increase his focus is snowboarding. Even though Bivol’s been injured a few times because not an expert yet, he still enjoys a small snowboarding session now and then, which is not something that other fighters do given the risk of injuries.

“I tried snowboarding once and then I had to buy two and am trying to learn. I have had a couple of small accidents but nothing big,” Dmitry Bivol told the Mirror. “I had a problem with my collarbone; I fell on it and felt like an idiot because I am supposed to be a professional boxer. But snowboarding helps clear my mind. I focus on my balance and float down mountains surrounded by fresh air.”

Well, we’re just days away from his fight and it will be interesting to see if Bivol’s extreme training measures can help him win the title back this weekend. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.