by Keith Idec
Eddie Hearn doesnโt think any objective observer could convince him that Artur Beterbiev won six rounds against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night, let alone eight.
As certain as Bivolโs promoter is that Bivol deserved to win their light heavyweight championship unification clash, Hearn conveyed confidence during their post-fight press conference that his fighter will get an immediate rematch. Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabiaโs General Entertainment Authority, told Bivol, Hearn and others at ringside that he wants to schedule a second bout between Beterbiev and Bivol as soon as possible.
The GEA financed the entire card headlined by Beterbiev-Bivol at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs), who won a majority decision, and Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) each earned approximately $10 million for a long-awaited bout that crowned boxingโs first fully unified 175-pound champion of the four-belt era.
Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Boxing, doesnโt think anything other than a rematch versus Bivol makes sense for the injury-prone Beterbiev, who will turn 40 in January.
โYeah, I mean, โHis Excellencyโ [Alalshikh] said, โWrong decision. We do a rematch.โ โฆ We know heโs a man of his word,โ Hearn said. โWe know he supported Dmitry Bivol. We thank him so much, not just for the opportunities for Dmitry Bivol, but what heโs given boxing tonight by making that fight. And there has to be a rematch because Artur Beterbiev, you know, thereโs always gonna be the controversy of that fight.
โAnd heโs a true champion. What other fight is there for Artur Beterbiev? I mean, the whole world will want to see that again. The whole world will know. You know, Iโm sure thereโs some that found a Beterbiev victory. But everybody I know that knows boxing didnโt tell me that at ringside.โ
Judges Pawel Kardyni (116-112) and Glenn Feldman (115-113) disagreed with Hearnโs assessment. They scored eight and seven rounds, respectively, for Beterbiev because the Russian champion pressured Bivol for most of their 12-round encounter and landed the flusher punches regularly against a cerebral, fleet-footed technician who tried to out-point him while typically moving backward.
Judge Manuel Oliver Palomo gave Beterbiev and Bivol six rounds apiece (114-114).
Alalshikh thinks all three judges got it wrong.
โI donโt think the result is fair, in my opinion,โ Alalshikh said as he walked away from ringside. โI think it is as least for Bivol [by] two rounds โฆ the two fighters like my brother, OK? But I think Bivol [won] two rounds more. I donโt know why the result [is] like this, but in my opinion, I will focus and I will try to do the rematch. They deserve it. They deserve it. If they accept, we will do it.โ
Beterbiev, 39, and Bivol, 33, expressed equal interest in fighting again next.
โWe should ask boxing fans,โ said Bivol, who refused to make what he considered โexcusesโ for his first professional loss. โDo they want this rematch? If they want [it], I would like to give this rematch and I would like to get this chance, of course, again.โ
Montrealโs Beterbiev, who went the distance for the first time since he was an amateur, would welcome the profitable opportunity to beat Bivol more decisively in a second fight for his IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO belts.
โIf โHis Excellencyโ want,โ Beterbiev told DAZNโs Chris Mannix in the ring, โwe gonna do [it].โ