Dmitry Bivol faces an uphill task. He faces a beast with gloves. He knows, one slip and the beast will be more than happy to maul and finish him over. As a boxer, Bivol has electrified the world with his sheer display of technical superiority, defeating opponent after opponent. But it’s that moment when he must face the mirror and look deep within himself.

While Dmitry Bivol understands where his ring IQ and technical brilliance stand, he can barely afford to let his guard down. After all, he faces an outstanding puncher with an unblemished record outlined by perfect knockout kills. Hence, ‘give respect where it is due’ appears to be his mantra. But it seems to be a filtered attempt reserved exclusively for Artur Beterbiev. It appears Bivol may not extend the same honor to Canelo Álvarez, whom he defeated convincingly two years ago.

Dmitry Bivol: Respect but reserve judgment

Queensbury Promotions shared a few excerpts of the interview with Dmitry Bivol through an Instagram post. The poser was simple: “Where does @arturbeterbiev rank amongst @bivol_d’s opponents? 🤔” When compared with the rest of the crowd he has faced, definitely Artur Beterbiev comes out the best, affirmed Bivol.

So does that mean the light heavyweight division’s unified champion stands a notch above even someone like Canelo Álvarez? “He is the best you know; he is the hardest opponent for me today,” replied Dmitry Bivol. Any special reasons for that exalted status? The unbeaten champion added, “He has 20 wins. 20 knockouts. He has three belts, and he’s my opponent. He wants to beat me today. And he’s the most dangerous now.”

Considering how in the recent past Canelo Álvarez expressed a keen interest in rounding back to Dmitry Bivol for a rematch, the superstar hopes to avenge his second career loss. But the light heavyweight champion doesn’t appear too excited about the prospect. So the latest response might offer some answers to fans looking forward to one of the most sought-after sequels.

About a month ago, in a separate interview with Queensbury, Dmitry Bivol expanded on his thoughts regarding the upcoming fight.

A consistent signature

While speaking about Beterbiev’s ring prowess, he termed the undisputed win a ‘final stop’ of his outstanding career. Bivol shared how the dream motivated him to become a better boxer every day. However, standing in the way of boxing glory is Artur Beterbiev. Ultimately, there will be only one winner. So how does the division’s unified champion strike him as a fighter?

“He’s a great fighter; he’s a great puncher; and he has good technique,” Dmitry Bivol acknowledged. But then it’s not fair to talk about Bivol and not touch on Canelo Álvarez, right? So how does the Mexican superstar compare to Artur Beterbiev, whose skills he recognizes well? Bivol responded, “It’s two different people; it’s absolutely different. Arthur is bigger; I think he’s got a stronger punch and a different technique.”

He conceded that the Beterbiev fight could be the most trying ordeal of his career. Dmitry Bivol shared that he had been studying the videos of Beterbiev’s last few fights. But in the end, it’s all about him. Expressing a strong belief in his skills, Bivol said that he would leave no stone unturned to secure the undisputed championship.

There’s speculation. If the fight goes the distance, many believe that it will be in Bivol’s favor. Do you agree?