WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson may be sidelined with a hand injury, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting hyped for one of the biggest showdowns in the boxing world. With his clash against Joe Cordina on hold after undergoing surgery, Stevenson has shifted his focus to the much-anticipated battle between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, set to take place on October 12th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

While Stevenson won’t be lacing up the gloves that night, his excitement for the event is palpable. This isn’t just any fight—it’s an undisputed clash between two of the most dangerous men in the light heavyweight division. Beterbiev, holding the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts, is known for his brutal knockout power, while WBA champion Bivol is the epitome of technical precision. It’s a classic power versus skill matchup, and Stevenson has weighed in on exactly how he sees this fight going down.

Not only has the champ picked his favorite, but he’s also shared a blueprint for how the fight could be won, adding his expert insight into what it will take to come out on top. So now the question lingers – Will Bivol’s technical mastery triumph, or will Beterbiev’s devastating power be too much to handle? Either way, boxing fans are in for a treat.

A 50-50 Fight

According to ‘Outlaw,’ the fight between Bivol and Beterbiev will be an even contest. The Texas resident can’t pick an outright winner and stated that the result will depend on the tempo of the fight. “Beterbiev vs Bivol a true 50/ 50 fight for me, Can Beterbiev land flush shots on Bivol? Or will Bivol let Beterbiev rest in there like a lot of his other opponents do because of the power?.. I think the fight going boil down to what pace the fight will be fought at 🤔,” wrote an excited Stevenson. 

The headline fight between Bivol and Beterbiev will be a clash of styles. On one hand, very few people have been able to escape the power of Beterbiev. His killer punches can knock out the air from anyone’s lungs at any given point. But if anyone can match his power for speed, it is Bivol. The Kyrgyzstan-born boxer will have to set the range of the fight to his comfort and must have to stay a step ahead of the Russian boxer. But with both boxers having quite a similar reach, that might be a problem.

Stevenson seemingly piked a favorite, but that too with conditions. Let’s learn more.

Shakur Stevenson picks his favorite

Even though Stevenson thinks that the fight will be a close one, he has picked his winner for the match. According to the WBC lightweight champion, Bivol can win the fight if he controls the tempo of the match. When a fan asked Stevenson about his pick, the boxer replied, “I’m liking Bivol bet I think he has to push the pace early,” without wasting any time.

This also means that Bivol has to be on a run for all 12 rounds, as knocking down Beterbiev will be a near-impossible task for him. Bivol has won 12 out of his 23 wins via knockout, but 9 out of his last 10 wins came via unanimous decision (UD). On the other hand, Beterbiev has proved himself to be quite the horror winning 20 fights, all via knockout.

What do you think about Shakur Stevenson’s prediction? Can Bivol surpass Betrebiev’s pace and become the undisputed champion? Let us know down below.