“Not 50-50”: Roy Jones Jr. Predicts the Winner of Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev

The heat is picking up in the light heavyweight division. Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev are all set to clash in a historic clash this summer, and predictions for it have started pouring in. Joining the bandwagon is former light heavyweight champion himself, Roy Jones Jr., who has deflected from the consensus that it will be a leveled fight between the two undefeated power punchers.

Bivol will bring his IBO and WBA belts against Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC, and WBO titles to determine the undisputed champion of the weight class, last held by Roy Jones Jr. himself. Now, on the precipice of getting a successor for the status, he made a pick between Beterbiev and Bivol. The premise of his argument rests on a major beating one of them took in their career.

Roy Jones Jr. reflects upon the Canelo Alvarez fight

Both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol come with an illustrious undefeated record. While Bivol has 22 fights under his record, Beterbiev boasts 20. This levelness has prompted fans to presume that it will be a fight that could go either way. However, Roy Jones Jr., thinks it is a fight that will be in favor of 33-year-old Bivol. To Boxing Social, he remarked, “Not 50-50. One, Beterbiev 38 years old. Beterbiev has been down. Bivol has never been down.”

In December 2014, the Russian native stopped Jeff Page Jr. in two rounds. However, in the first round, he was dropped by Page Jr. with a straight right to the head. That’s been the only time Beterbiev has hit the canvas. Basing his argument on this occurrence, the former champion also leveraged the time Bivol defeated Canelo Alvarez in their 2022 fight, giving the Mexican fighter his career’s second loss after Floyd Mayweather.

Roy Jones Jr. then added, “Bivol’s been in there with who at that time was pound-for-pound, the best, Canelo Alvarez. Made him look like nothing. So I’m not saying that it’s 50-50.” However, he does not completely rule out the chances of Beterbiev winning on the night. He also notes that it will not be an easy task for Bivol to cement his victory.

What is Dmitry Bivol up against?

Roy Jones Jr. does not underestimate the power of the knockout machine, Beterbiev. After all, his punches are the ones that induce fright in his weight class. He explained, “Beterbiev got everything to show me to bring back the 50-50. Right now, Bivol has the advantage, 60-40. Now, Beterbiev is a hell of a guy and a hell of a fighter. Awesome power, but he’s also been down.”

He further contended, “So it’s like when I look at that, I was looking where I used to look at things at that point, and when someone else has knocked you down, I gotta get you there. Now, that’s a hell of a punch to walk through though. So it’s a very dangerous game Bivol’s gotta play. Because Beterbiev’s the best puncher in probably the entire division.”

Will the “best puncher” of the division be able to flip Roy Jones Jr.’s prediction? What do you think? Take your picks in the comments section below.

Also Read: Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterveiv Prediction: Canelo Alvarez Conqueror’s Training Clip Sparks Heated Debate In Boxing World