Latest news with #Bivol
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WBC exposes its own hypocrisy in latest dispute with Dmitry Bivol
Dmitry Bivol is no longer boxing's undisputed light heavyweight champion. (Mark Robinson/) (Mark Robinson via Getty Images) Boxing is a simple sport made complicated by various factions who root for their own interests at the cost of furthering the fight game — and Monday's developments are yet more proof that some of those who run it cannot get out of their own way. Advertisement On Monday, Dmitry Bivol — Uncrowned's No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter in the world — informed the World Boxing Council (WBC), via his attorney Patrick English, that Bivol has opted to "relinquish his WBC light heavyweight championship," according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman on X. Sulaiman then blasted both for the 'cold and impersonal notification.' Bivol won the WBC title, together with the WBO, WBA and IBF belts, for his Feb. 22 majority decision win over his longtime 175-pound rival Artur Beterbiev. The result avenged Bivol's loss to Beterbiev in their first fight just four months prior. They are now tied at one win apiece in a gold standard brace of bouts. Considering the skill sets, and the technical brilliance from Bivol and Beterbiev's series so far, they have long been linked with a trilogy to determine who tops their rivalry. Combat sports powerbroker Turki Alalshikh backed, financed and hosted the two fights so far, and has been putting in motion the process to secure one further fight. 'We want to see the third,' he excitedly said the day after Bivol vs. Beterbiev 2. Advertisement A source within Bivol's camp with knowledge of the situation told Uncrowned on Tuesday that Alalshikh's actions have exposed sanctioning bodies like the WBC when they try to get in the way of a fight between the world's best fighters. On this occasion, it laid bare 'the credibility of the ranking system and sanctioning organization, the WBC, as being jerky,' the source said. Boxing is a sport that should produce winners. Take your fists, ram them into your opponent's jaw and ribs until they cannot continue, or judges deem you to have edged your opponent, and you have yourself a victory. This dispute, though, has only produced losers. Advertisement Bivol loses out because his trilogy no longer carries undisputed status even though it's quite clear that both participants are the top two combatants at 175 pounds. That Sulaiman rushed to anoint David Benavidez as an elevated champion makes a loser out of "The Mexican Monster" because it goes against Benavidez's personal brand as an anytime, any place, anywhere BMF-type of fighter, like UFC's cult heroes Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. Benavidez himself said in a public post on social media that it wasn't 'the ideal way' to win a world title, and the way in which he's conducted himself inside and outside of the ring to date shows he'd like nothing more than to earn a title like that by defeating Saul "Canelo" Alvarez or Bivol in the ring. Not by email. David Benavidez is officially the WBC light heavyweight champion, though the belt didn't arrive in the ring. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) (Las Vegas Review-Journal via Getty Images) The biggest loser here, though, is the WBC and its president Sulaiman. Advertisement This week's ordeal exposes the WBC's own hypocrisy as it was in no rush to strip Alvarez when Benavidez was the pound-for-pound mainstay's mandatory challenger at super middleweight for more than two years. Instead, WBC was very flexible in allowing "Canelo" to fight whomever he wanted, even if Benavidez had long been considered the second-best fighter when he competed at 168 pounds. The WBC never enforced Benavidez as a mandatory challenger back then, ultimately screwing him out of a fight many believe he'd at least have been competitive in, if not won. There was never a hint from the WBC that Alvarez could lose his title outside of the ring. Bivol infamously beat "Canelo" in 2022 in a light heavyweight bout with feints and triple jabs, and then months later the WBC imposed a ruling in which Russian and Belarusian boxers were removed from its ranking pool in light of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Now, just months after Bivol won the WBC title, Bivol is no longer a WBC champion, having been afforded nowhere near the level of flexibility the WBC previously allowed "Canelo," when enforcing a mandatory process that now looks slapdash and unserious. Advertisement In doing so, the WBC has ignored due process, the source within Team Bivol told Uncrowned. Bivol vs. Beterbiev 3 is indeed next, Uncrowned confirmed, and the only sanctioning body which had a claim to be 'next in line would have been the IBF,' as a rotation system among sanctioning bodies exists when undisputed champions reign within one division and collect each of the sanctioning bodies' titles. 'They [WBC] made a promise,' the source said. 'The promise was that [Benavidez] get[s] a fight with the winner of Bivol vs. Beterbiev.' Considering the upcoming trilogy and rotation policy, it's a promise WBC was never going to be able to keep.
The Independent
08-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dmitry Bivol's lawyer offered ‘ridiculous' reasons for vacating title in ‘cold' message, WBC says
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has hit out at Dmitry Bivol 's lawyer, accusing him of sending a 'cold' message with 'ridiculous' reasons for the boxer vacating the WBC light-heavyweight title. It was confirmed by Sulaiman on Monday (7 April) that Bivol had relinquished the belt, which he won when he outpointed Artur Beterbiev to become undisputed champion in February. Sulaiman also confirmed that interim-title holder David Benavidez has been elevated to official WBC champion, as Bivol eyes a trilogy bout with Beterbiev. Sulaiman tweeted on Monday: 'I have just received a cold and impersonal notification from Dmitry Bivol ['s] lawyer, Patrick English, with arguments that are so ridiculous that I rather not discuss [them,] informing the WBC that Dmitry Bivol has decided to relinquish his WBC light heavyweight championship. 'We wish Bivol success and hereby confirm David Benavidez as WBC world light heavyweight champion.' Per The Ring, English wrote to Sulaiman: 'Everyone in boxing knows that there is a commitment for a third bout with Artur Beterbiev […] We are working to consummate that bout. 'In addition, we are dismayed at the inability of the ratings organizations to adhere to the rotation system set up many years ago. You are aware that the iBF [sic] has claimed to be the lead organization, with justification, for the next Bivol bout.' Bivol's recent victory over Beterbiev followed a narrow points loss to his fellow part-Russian in October, when Beterbiev became undisputed champion. That October result also marked Bivol's first professional loss, though he returned the favour in February, becoming the first fighter to beat Beterbiev. And it seems Bivol, 34, and Beterbiev, 40, could square off yet again, although Bivol was linked with mandatory challenger Benavidez recently. The unbeaten Benavidez, 28, made his name at super-middleweight but moved up to light-heavyweight last year, after failing to secure a bout with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. The American won the interim WBC light-heavyweight strap by outpointing Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June, before retaining it against David Morrell in February, a bout in which Benavidez was dropped and his opponent was docked a point.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bivol vacates WBC title to pursue Beterbiev trilogy
Dmitry Bivol has relinquished his WBC light-heavyweight world title after just six weeks as undisputed champion in order to pursue a third fight against Artur Russian defeated Beterbiev on 23 February to gain revenge over his fiercest rival and claim the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF world president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Bivol had vacated the title because the 34-year-old is seeking another fight against his fellow Russian Beterbiev. The first two fights between Bivol and 40-year-old Beterbiev had been for the undisputed in the wake of Bivol's victory, the WBC had ordered him to fight its top contender David Benavidez next and a purse bid was scheduled for Tuesday. American fighter Benavidez, who is unbeaten in 30 bouts, has been upgraded to world champion Callum Smith will be among those vying to fight Benavidez after he beat top contender Joshua Buatsi in February.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dmitry Bivol vacates WBC title, David Benavidez fight to pursue Artur Beterbiev trilogy
Dmitry Bivol poses with the WBC title that no longer belongs to him. () (Mark Robinson via Getty Images) Dmitry Bivol's undisputed title run lasted a mere 44 days. Bivol, Uncrowned's No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, informed the WBC on Monday afternoon that he will be vacating its version of the light heavyweight title that he won in his brilliant rematch with Artur Beterbiev in February. Advertisement A March 5 ruling from the sanctioning body officially ordered Bivol to defend his championship against WBC interim champion David Benavidez next. With no deal reached, the WBC ordered an April 8 purse bid for Bivol vs. Benavidez, which Bivol has now withdrawn from less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place. According to veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael, Bivol informed the WBC that he vacated the championship because he is committed to a trilogy fight against Beterbiev, which could take place in October for the opening of Riyadh Season 2025-26. Beterbiev won a contentious majority decision over Bivol in their first meeting this past October to claim the undisputed crown. The pair rematched in the main event of "The Last Crescendo" show — labeled by some as the greatest boxing card of all time — organized by Turki Alalshikh's Riyadh Season in February. Advertisement On that occasion, Bivol saw his hand raised by majority decision to capture all four 175-pound belts. With the pair sharing one win apiece, a third meeting with Beterbiev is viewed as a natural next step for Bivol. Bivol remains the WBA, IBF and WBO champion. Benavidez is expected to be elevated to full WBC light heavyweight world champion and make the first defense of his crown in the summer. Although a Bivol vs. Benavidez fight won't take place next, Benavidez's promoter Sampson Lewkowicz is happy to re-explore the matchup should Bivol emerge victorious in his trilogy with Beterbiev. "We will give the [Bivol vs. Beterbiev 3] winner the opportunity to get the WBC title back at any time," Lewkowicz told Rafael. "We are one phone call away to make this fight happen."
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dmitry Bivol ordered to box David Benavidez in potential blow to Artur Beterbiev trilogy
The WBC has ordered Dmitry Bivol to box David Benavidez next, in a potential blow for fans wishing to see a trilogy fight against Artur Beterbiev. Bivol lost a majority decision to Beterbiev in October, as the latter became undisputed light-heavyweight champion and handed Bivol his first pro defeat. However, Bivol reversed the result in February, taking all the belts from his fellow part-Russian and similarly dealing Beterbiev his first pro loss. Many fans have expressed a desire to see Bivol vs Beterbiev 3 next, but Benavidez's recent move to light-heavyweight seemed a potential complication in the title picture. And it could prove exactly that, with the WBC – per multiple reports – now ordering Bivol to fight the American, who holds the organisation's interim title. A negotiation period will run until 8 April, so it is still possible that Bivol, 34, will fight Beterbiev, 40, next. However, Benavidez is seemingly edging closer to a shot at an official light-heavyweight title. The unbeaten 28-year-old made his name at super-middleweight and is open to returning to that division, where unified champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has been accused of avoiding him. However, Benavidez would likely only drop back down for a bout with Canelo, who is due to box Terence Crawford in a somewhat contrived super-fight in September. In June 2024, Benavidez moved up to light-heavyweight and outpointed Oleksandr Gvozdyk to claim the WBC interim belt. Then, in February, he beat David Morrell Jr on points to retain the title.
