“They Can Fight for No Belts”: Mauricio Sulaiman’s Decision to Blacklist Dmitry Bivol for a Beterbiev Unification Fight Faces Scathing Criticism From Fans Who Question the Standards

The news is that WBC may not approve a fight to settle the Light Heavyweight’s undisputed question between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. The former, a WBC, WBO, and IBF title holder, and the latter, the WBA (Super) champion, are of Russian origin. However, while Beterbiev now lives with his family in Montreal, Canada, and has Canadian citizenship, Bivol remains a Russian citizen.

So, given the current political situation in Eastern Europe,  the organization took a stand to debar all ‘Russian’ athletes on account of Russia’s recent military confrontation with Ukraine. Speaking to Izquierdazo, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said, “The WBC can not sanction a fight with Bivol in it. That is because of our position with Russia [and the war with Ukraine]. WBC would not accept that fight….. At this moment, [our ruling is] that Beterbiev has to fight with his WBC mandatory rival, Callum Smith.“

BoxingScene reported the update and shared it with netizens through its Twitter handle @boxingscene, “Sulaiman: Beterbiev-Bivol Would Not Involve WBC Title, We Refuse To Sanction Fight With Bivol.“

So far, the post that came in the morning yesterday has received more than half a million views. So, without much ado, hordes of fans pitched in, commenting about what they felt was happening.

Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev can still fight

One user, like many, seems to retain an attraction for the fight alone, even one sans belt or titles.

Eminent announcer Michael Buffer too jumped into the fray. According to him, it’s enough to have just the bout. The winner will be the undisputed champion of the world, regardless of any other titles either may hold. In addition, each boxer receives 12% of the overall purse, and practically all commissions and states would recognize their claim henceforth.

Slamming the WBC honcho, one user accused Sulaiman of being a card-carrying fan of Canelo Alvarez, regularly making it a point to don the Super Middleweight champion’s gear. However, he seems to wonder what’s the issue on approving a fight between Beterbiev and Bivol. For the user, this could be a reason for the WBC boss to be removed. After all, even the reigning champion is of Russian origin, he reckons.

Read More: “Being in the Ring With Me Is Different”: Canelo Alvarez Warns David Benavidez Ahead of Comeback

The following user seems to doubt whether Sulaiman’s actions are intended to bring about a rematch between Canelo and Bivol. The former, a fellow Mexican, has been clamoring for it since he suffered his second career defeat at the hands of Bivol on May 7 last year.

User Carlos Rengal wonders what the WBC boss’ stand would be if Dmitry Bivol agrees to rematch with Canelo Alvarez at 168 lbs.

Alvarez would be fighting the mandatory challenger John Ryder on May 6. But the next course of action for Bivol remains unclear. From a fan’s perspective, a Bivol-Beterbiev clash is similar to a Terence Crawford – Errol Spence Jr. match, if not better.

What’s your take on Bivol vs Beterbiev and Sulaiman’s comments? Do let us know your views and opinions in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Boxing News Roundup (April 14, 2023): Mike Tyson and Wiz Khalifa on their ‘fun’ deal, Oscar De La Hoya’s predicts Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez, and more