ARTUR Beterbiev has taken to social media, blaming Dmitry Bivol for causing their lucrative trilogy clash to slip down the drain.
The pair were supposed to square off in a third encounter towards the end of this year, hoping to finally settle their score after reaching a 1-1 verdict.
Beterbiev, 21-1 (20 KOs), emerged from their first fight, which took place in October of last year, as the undisputed light-heavyweight king, only for Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs), to then exact his revenge in what was, arguably, an even more compelling rematch.
Interestingly enough, the 34-year-old’s razor-thin victory last February saw him claim an identical majority decision to the one that his rival edged just a few months earlier.
But still, despite the fiercely competitive nature of their two encounters, it would appear that their trilogy showdown remains a fair distance away from materialising.
Instead, it has been announced that Beterbiev will face Deon Nicholson, a hard-hitting yet unremarkable operator, on the undercard of David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde.
Their fight, which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 22, should represent little more than a tune-up for Beterbiev, who insists that any retirement plan remains far removed from his mind.
Bivol, meanwhile, vacated his WBC world title earlier this year – seemingly believing that a third dustup with Beterbiev would come to fruition – shortly after Benavidez emerged as his mandatory challenger.
But while the immediate future of Bivol remains unclear, Beterbiev has expressed his frustration with the fact that their trilogy could not quite get over the line.
“Our next fight was supposed to take place in Russia,” the 40-year-old wrote on Instagram just yesterday.
“We were offered great conditions, which were almost impossible to refuse. For my part, I did everything to make the third fight happen, but my opponent chose the path of retreat again.
“I’ve waited long enough and I don’t intend to wait any longer. Sitting around doing nothing while someone else is resting is too much.
“See you on November 22 in Riyadh. I’m continuing my journey, no matter what.”
