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RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-15-2019
A good article in the lead up to this weekend's Beterbiev-Gvozdyk unification fight - it gives an interesting insight into the backgrounds of both men:
https://nyfights.com/press-release/gvozdyk-v-beterbiev-from-a-different-angle/
PHILADELPHIA — As Russia and Ukraine dominate the news, both countries have become inextricably linked to the current impeachment inquiry in Washington DC. Up the road in Philadelphia, two world champion boxers–one Russian, one Ukrainian–are preparing to meet in a light-heavyweight unification bout.
As their home countries wage war against each other, their thoughts are 5,000 miles away, focused not on the opponent’s country, but on the man he will meet in the center of the ring at Temple University’s Liacouras Center on Oct 18. The winner will leave the ring as WBC/ IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion of the world.
Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14 KOs) is the current WBC Light- Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Adonis Stevenson via knockout in the 11th round of their Dec., 2018, bout in Quebec, Canada. The knockout would end Stevenson’s boxing career.
IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs) defeated Gvozdyk when the two met as amateurs–Beterbiev representing Russia, Gvozdyk representing Ukraine.
Ukraine Arrives on the American Stage
In recent weeks, calls for President Donald Trump’s impeachment became deafening after Ukraine released the transcript of a phone call between its President, former comedian Volodymir Zelensky, and Trump, which included an exchange about former Vice President and Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter. Trump urged the newly elected leader to investigate the younger Biden.
The impeachment inquiry will examine whether Trump held up $400M in aid to Ukraine with the intention of releasing it when the country began an investigation of Hunter Biden, and one into Ukraine’s role in the 2016 US Presidential election–a conspiracy theory, which Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Guiliani, have repeatedly pushed publicly. The premise is that Crowdstrike, a California-based company that was brought in to investigate the Russian hack of the Democratic party’s servers that election year, is owned by a Ukrainian.
Zelensky, who played the President of Ukraine in a television show called Servant of the People for four years, was elected in a landslide victory in April and began his term as Ukraine’s sixth president in May. He’s an unwitting participant in American politics, which was made clear during a 10-hour, informal question-and-answer session last week with reporters in Ukraine. He spoke dismissively about the potential that Ukraine interfered with the 2016 election, saying he would have to be shown a reason to proceed with any joint “theoretical” investigation.
Like the boxers training in Philadelphia, who are focused on their fight and not on war and politics, his mind is elsewhere – working to end the conflict with Russia on Ukraine’s Eastern border.
His constituents, the people of Ukraine, are not focused on American politics and elections. “The Trump phone call is being covered right now in Ukraine,” said Petro Shugurov, former Ring Magazine Ukraine Writer and Contributing Editor who lives in the country. “Mostly just that Zelensky was involved. The Ukrainian people have enough to worry about with our own politics.”
The American and the Canadian
While the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has a complicated and lengthy history, the roads that led Beterbiev and Gvozdyk to Philadelphia are well-traveled.
“The Boxing Federations of Russia and Ukraine are very similar,” said Shugurov. “They still operate like they did during the days of the USSR. The Russian Federation is like God Almighty to boxers in Russia–there are a lot of programs to support them and they receive stipends.”
Both boxers were decorated amateurs. Beterbiev had over 300 amateur fights and won gold and silver in world-level contests in Milan and Chicago. Gvozdyk had over 250 amateur bouts and won a bronze medal for Ukraine in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Gvozdyk is followed closely by those in his home country of Ukraine and Ukrainians stateside, despite moving to California five years ago to focus on his career: “One month ago, we went to the Ukrainian Festival. There were a lot of Ukrainian people there and I was surprised that a lot of them knew me. We spent a couple hours there, signing autographs and taking photos.”
Gvozdyk, whose father had a brief career as an amateur boxer in Ukraine, is living out his dream in California. “When I asked my wife to come to California with me, to leave her home, she said the most important thing is that I’m going to go with you,” Gvozdyk said of his wife, Daria. He acknowledges that it can sometimes be difficult to be away from family as the two raise a family, but the kids–two boys and one girl, ages 3-10–have traveled the world with their parents. “Our kids are the most quiet kids on the plane when they travel. They don’t cry. They know it’s pointless.” Gvozdyk lost his mother in 2014.
Politics is not a topic that Gvozdyk is anxious to discuss, going so far as to say he doesn’t know what’s happening. “It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I’m just an athlete. I don’t want to make any parallels to the fight. I am living in California, he is living in Montreal. I just don’t know anything about it.”
“Teddy Atlas, Gvozdyk’s trainer, runs a tight ship,” said J Russell Peltz, who is co-promoting the championship fight with Top Rank. “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s not focused on what’s happening on the other side of the world.”
His opponent, Beterbiev, shared the sentiment. “Any war is bad for people, but I really don’t want to talk about it,” said the Russian, who relocated to Montreal six years ago to further his career. “It’s far from me in Canada.”
Shugurov hints at other motives at why the boxers don’t want to talk about life in the former Soviet bloc: “They are high-profile athletes and they don’t want to upset anyone. They don’t want to have problems like those that have happened with other boxers.
“Ukrainians and Russians are everywhere and they are like a network. Fighters as a whole don’t want to get involved. They want to make money and not have problems. Beterbiev, he’s Canadian now. Gvozdyk is American.”
Beterbiev’s family life nearly mirrors that of his opponent. Married with four children ages 2-8, Beterbiev lost his father to an accident when he was only sixteen. His father was just starting to enjoy his son’s career. “A couple days before he died, I won a bronze medal in a tournament. He said to me: ‘You won this fight. Now go go go. I believe in you.’”
Raising a family away from home hasn’t been easy for Beterbiev and his wife, Medena, though Beterbiev’s mother has traveled to Canada to help.
Much Can Change in Ten Years
Ten years ago, Ukraine was led by Viktor Yushchenko, who had survived an assassination attempt by poison five years prior. There was political chaos and a gas dispute with Russia. Putin was not yet President of Russia, but it was understood that he was in charge of the country. There was tension between the two countries, but nothing that matched the war and hostility they are facing today.
“We had beat Germany together,” said Shugurov. “We fought Nazis together. A whole lot of people believed we should be one country. While Ukraine had a Western-friendly leader, there was a brotherhood between the people of the countries.”
The US had a different president, one not embroiled in an impeachment inquiry permeated by Russian and Ukrainian ties.
Ten years ago, two fighters, one from Ukraine, one from Russia, met in a boxing ring with the Russian besting the Ukrainian. The two fighters, now husbands and fathers, undefeated world champion professionals, living away from home and seeking the glory that comes with unifying world titles, will meet in the most pivotal fight of their respective careers. It’s a fight that transcends politics and war, whose winner, at least in the boxing world, will be declared Unified Champion of the World.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - diehard - 10-15-2019
Dec 14: Crawford-Kavaliauskas is official
WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford will defend his world title against undefeated mandatory challenger Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas on December 14 at Madison Square Garden as part of a special ESPN-televised tripleheader that will immediately follow the 2019 Heisman Trophy presentation.
The other two fights will be IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey defending his title against Teofimo Lopez, and featherweight Michael “Mick” Conlan against unbeaten Vladimir Nikitin in a rematch of their highly controversial 2016 Olympic quarterfinal bout.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-16-2019
Dec 14: Crawford-Kavaliauskas is official
(10-15-2019, 10:40 PM)diehard Wrote: WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford will defend his world title against undefeated mandatory challenger Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas on December 14 at Madison Square Garden as part of a special ESPN-televised tripleheader that will immediately follow the 2019 Heisman Trophy presentation.
The other two fights will be IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey defending his title against Teofimo Lopez, and featherweight Michael “Mick” Conlan against unbeaten Vladimir Nikitin in a rematch of their highly controversial 2016 Olympic quarterfinal bout.
Not a bad card. The winner of Commey-Lopez looks set be Lomachenko's next opponent.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - diehard - 10-16-2019
Real good card. Hope it's free on Sky Pop Up. It should be on Saturday, NZ time. I'll look into it this week, if someone doesn't beat me to it.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-16-2019
From The Ring magazine:
https://www.ringtv.com/580769-iceman-john-scully-offers-insight-into-artur-beterbiev-camp-ahead-of-oleksandr-gvozdyk-unification/
‘ICEMAN’ JOHN SCULLY OFFERS INSIGHT INTO ARTUR BETERBIEV CAMP AHEAD OF OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK UNIFICATION
15 OCT
BY TRIS DIXON
Artur Beterbiev is in Philadelphia ahead of one of the most anticipated showdowns of the year.
The IBF ruler meets WBC king Oleksandr Gvozdyk at the Liacouras Center in “The City of Brotherly Love” and boxing fans are expecting a Fight of the Year contender.
Beterbiev’s assistant trainer John Scully has been in Montreal for seven weeks helping head coach Marc Ramsay, working as “a second pair of eyes”.
“I hold the pads for him, we go through different techniques and we go over strategy with Marc. We work as a team,” said the former light heavyweight title challenger.
“We watch the films together. I think Gvozdyk’s very good, he’s tricky, he uses his height very well. He’s not somebody you can sleepwalk through. You really have to be on your game and you really have to have a strategy to counter him because if you let him dictate the fight, he will do that.”
Both men can crack. Beterbiev has stopped all 14 of his opponents, Gvozdyk has halted 14 of 17 but Scully thinks his man has the greater firepower.
“I think there’s a difference in power in terms of Arthur debilitates people when he hits them,” Scully continued. “When he hits them, they just lose it. Most of the guys at light heavyweight can punch pretty solidly and I’m sure Gvozdyk has good power, but it’s going to be hard to find someone at that weight who hits harder than Arthur.”
If both start free-swinging, fans could be treated to the type of fight former Philly light heavy favorite Matthew Saad Muhammad gave them countless times in the late 1970s, against the likes of Marvin Johnson, Richie Kates and Yaqui Lopez.
Scully says the plan is to make it a thriller. He believes it is a Fight of the Year contender in the making.
“I think so because Arthur is going to have to make it exciting,” he explained. “It can’t be a boxing match. You don’t need to be a boxing genius to know that Muhammad Ali had to box Joe Frazier rather than slug it out with him. Ali had to box and get up on his toes. With this fight, we have to minimise this guy keeping his distance and using his angles, so it’s going to be better for us if we get him into a good action fight. That would be the goal.”
Gvozdyk has thrived under International Boxing Hall of Famer Teddy Atlas. They’ve been preparing throughout camp in Philadelphia and Scully is clearly respectful of Atlas, though he is not sure he will be the difference maker on the night.
“On one hand, he brings a lot of intensity, knowledge of the game, knowledge of styles and he brings a definite philosophy but on the other hand it might not be right for everybody,” Scully went on. “Now I don’t know Gvozdyk, I don’t know his mentality but I know that Teddy is a guy who is not everyone’s cup of tea as a trainer. There are certain guys who couldn’t really deal with his formula, so a lot of it depends on the kind of guy Gvozdyk is and how he responds to that kind of thing.”
Scully has long been impressed with his man’s professionalism. Beterbiev’s not the type to blow up in weight between fights or to go off at the deep end after a win. Instead, he’s looking ahead to the next big fight and to the next title.
“Arthur is very consistent,” Scully continued. “He’s the type of guy who prides himself on being professional and he keeps in shape even when there’s no fight coming up. I always tell people – and you only run into a few of these guys – his head trainer Marc could leave him alone for a month and Arthur would be in the same condition, the same weight and everything else. You don’t have to worry about him, following him up or him slipping. That just wouldn’t happen, so it’s easy to train a guy like that.”
But Friday night sees two high-class fighters meeting arguably at their prime. For Scully, there’s no question about that.
“Oh sure,” he agreed. “As a professional, all things considered, he’s the best guy [Beterbiev has faced] but Arthur is the best guy he’s faced also. Arthur stopped him in the amateurs but Arthur is realistic. It could mean something if the fighter lets it. If Gvozdyk lets that bother him and play a role then it will play a role, but in the grand scheme of things I don’t think it’s going to matter.”
Gvozdyk admitted he was a little in awe of Beterbiev when they met in the unpaid ranks. He was inexperienced while the IBF titleholder was a competitive international. The WBC titleholder contends it will be different this time. Regardless, Scully is expecting Gvozdyk and his IBF counterpart to battle over the middle of the ring, certainly at some point.
“I think so because I think Gvozdyk’s going to have to fight back,” Scully concluded. “If you saw when Gvozdyk won the title, he was moving around and boxing and being elusive but he can’t win that way. You can’t win by running away and just boxing Arthur. You’re going to have to get his respect at some point but to do that you’re going to have to be close. On a fight on this level, Gvozdyk’s not going to just want to win, he’s going to want to be impressive, he’s going to want to please Teddy and he’s going to want to make a fight of it.”
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-16-2019
https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/27821953/learning-best-how-georges-st-pierre-became-artur-beterbiev-mentor
Learning from the best: How Georges St-Pierre became Beterbiev's mentor
Mark Kriegel
ESPN
Artur Beterbiev faces Oleksandr Gvozdyk on Friday night in a highly-anticipated WBC/IBF light heavyweight unification fight. Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs) has become a superstar on his own, but the guidance and friendship of MMA legend Georges St-Pierre has led him to greater heights.
Mark Kriegel sat down with Beterbiev and GSP to learn more about their relationship, the strengths of each and what's ahead for two very accomplished fighters in their sports.
Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Mark Kriegel: How and when did you two meet?
Georges St-Pierre: A long time ago [at TriStar]. I first met Artur, he couldn't speak English, so he had a friend that was translating the conversation.
Kriegel: Why did you guys connect? You're Chechen, you're from Canada, MMA and boxing, what brought you two together?
Artur Beterbiev: For me when I knew him for the first time. He's famous, but he's simple, you know? I can talk with him, I can ask him anything. I asked many things.
Kriegel: What did you ask him?
GSP: We would talk about fighting. He's a boxer, I'm a mixed martial arts fighter, so we had a lot of things in common. If you know about the art of war, the spirit, the mental of the game is pretty, pretty similar, and so I think we developed over time some type of camaraderie, and we starting hanging out. We'd go to a restaurant and his English got so much better since I've first met him. I couldn't really speak to him, now his English is much better.
Kriegel: What did you see in him?
GSP: A fighter. I knew he was like champion material right away in the beginning, but to be a champion and to stay a champion, you know, you need the physicality, you need the mental [toughness]. But you need more than that sometimes; you need to be managed well. You know, I know that because the fighting game, it's not a clean business, you know?
He's a very nice guy with a good heart, and I didn't want to be one of these guys that tried to step into his private life, but I knew for a fact he's a diamond?
Like in the sport, like people will see him, and everybody would try to take advantage of a guy like this because he's so talented. And, you know, I knew it's been done many times in the past, in a country like Canada. In the U.S., they take talent from somewhere else, they bring it here and they take advantage sometimes of people and some of the foreigners. When fighters come from other country, they come to live here, and they're not aware of what is really going on. I want him to have the best life because I do the same thing for a living. It's the hardest job in the world. We put our life on the line every time we step in the ring, that's what he does. He puts his life on the line, and it's very important for me that he's well taken care of.
Kriegel: If Artur Beterbiev didn't meet George St Pierre, where would you be now?
Artur: I don't know.
GSP: Artur would have found a way to do it by himself. If the door was closed, he would have cracked it open and got in. I just maybe opened a door for him to make it a little bit easier to make that path, but I think he's a smart guy. I didn't wanted him to waste his energy and his time because he's a fighter; he doesn't have to focus on that. His job is to fight, he needed to be taken care outside of that. Once you start to waste energy for other things, that's when your career sometimes can take a hit.
Kriegel: What is your goal?
Artur: It's my goal to be a good boxer.
Kriegel: You are a good boxer; you're a champion. Does Oleksandr Gvozdyk give you what you want?
Artur: He's a good opponent, he has good experience. I think it will be a great fight.
Kriegel: You fought 10 years ago, you stopped him in the second round. It was the amateurs. I know you were much younger, but do you ever really forget about someone that you stopped?
Artur: Yes. You have to ask [Gvozdyk] this question, it's not for me. For me, I forget that.
Kriegel: Both fighters would say, "Oh, it was 10 years ago, it's a long time ago, we both got better, be both live in the States now, it's another lifetime ago." Do you ever really forget about a guy who stopped you? Does it ever go away?
GSP: Well, it doesn't go away in a way that you can use that as a motivation to get it back. Maybe he's going to use that as a motivation to get a revenge or something, you know? But, I mean, it's a long time ago. It doesn't mean it's gonna happen again the same way or, you know, it doesn't really mean it.
Kriegel: It's a long time ago, but the four light heavyweight champions all fought together in Russia and Artur was considered by far the best. Does that give you an advantage a decade later here in the States? You, Bivol, Kovalev, Gvozdyk, right? None of them were better than you.
Artur: Once I can repeat again, [there's] only one champion. Not four champions. We need to take all belts, four belts, and after that say, "I'm champion, that's it."
Kriegel: Why are you so disciplined?
Artur: I think it is like from my amateur career, there is a system. You wake up in the morning, you go to training.
Kriegel: Don't you get sick of that?
Artur: I lived like that like for 10, 15 years, on the national team. I think it's because of that. I was in the national team, and I'm different there too, you know, from other athletes. I'm always looking for something. I tried to always do something more, you know. My brother is my first coach and he always tell me, "If you want to be like some good boxer," to catch him you need to do extra. If you finish training, you need to do extra always and maybe I try to do that.
GSP: One thing I've learned with Artur is that in life sometimes you try to get the better thing, the best thing, you know, as an athlete, and he's compelled and he's happy with the simpler pleasures of life -- eating with his family, and he's a happy man. He doesn't need to be the flashy thing that we dream about as a kid. He doesn't need that. He's a happy man with the simpler pleasures of life and that's what I admire of him, and I think it's very important. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are.
Kriegel: What do you need, Artur?
Artur: I need to be one day a good boxer and to be a good father, to be a good son.
Kriegel: The first time you retired, Georges, you were younger than he is now.
GSP: Yeah, but I didn't really retire.
Kriegel: Why is it so hard to retire?
GSP: It's very hard because it takes a lot of discipline, because as a fighter we all have the competitive spirit and we always feel like we wanna go again and again and again and again. But the sad truth is that the fighter is always the last person to find out when it's time to retire.
Kriegel: What makes you a fighter also makes you vulnerable at the end.
GSP: Yes, yes, which is a good thing, it's one of our biggest qualities; it's our biggest strength but our biggest issue as well.
Kriegel: You want to look back on your career and say, "I accomplished what I should have accomplished," right?
GSP: Yeah. As a competitor, as a fighter, we're never satisfied with that. I'm never satisfied, and of course if you're satisfied that means it's the end of it. Satisfaction in fighting game is the death, is the end. If you're satisfied, it's over.
Kriegel: What would you, Artur, need to do, to retire? How many belts? How many wins? How much money? What do you need?
Artur: I need to think about it. Right now, everything is good. Of course, boxing is my job, too. Of course, I want to unify.
Kriegel: Do you think your friend has retired really in his heart?
Artur: No, I don't think so. He goes to training every day, you know, he's not really retired.
GSP: The word of retirement doesn't mean anything right now.
Kriegel: But you did retire, you had a press conference...
GSP: Yeah, I did.
Kriegel: And your friend here says in your heart you're not retired. Why?
GSP: 'Cause I love to work out. I'm 38 years old. I try to not be subjective, I try to be objective about this situation.
Kriegel: If the right fight came along ...
GSP: If the right fight came along, they know where to find me. We tried to make the right fight, but it didn't work.
Kriegel: That would be Khabib Nurmagomedov?
GSP: Yes.
Kriegel: Would you come back for Khabib?
GSP: It depends, if everything is aligned contractually, everything is good, as we speak now, yes, I would. But, you know, it's like a business deal, when you make an agreement. When you make a business deal and the guys don't agree, it's OK, you turn around and you do other thing. You cannot come back a year after and say, "Hey, finally the offer that you made me a year ago, I'm gonna take it." That's not how you do business, and the fighting game is no different. If I made you an offer and you refuse, it's fine, but you cannot come back a year after and say, "Oh, finally I'll take it." Before I retired we tried to organize a fight with Khabib. UFC refused, didn't want it, so I walk away, I have other things.
Kriegel: How does your friend Artur finish?
GSP: He finishes on top, he's on the rise. I've been saying for years to everybody here to pay attention to him. It doesn't mean he's not gonna fall one day. Maybe he's gonna take a hit, but he's got a very strong mind. It's not an easy way. Time and life are not a straight line. Maybe he's gonna have some obstacle that he has to [overcome.]
Kriegel: There's a difference, in MMA you talk about a straight line, in MMA the greatest fighter of all can lose.
GSP: Everybody loses.
Kriegel: In boxing there is this expectation that you're supposed to have a perfect record.
GSP: Yeah, but if I sort of look to Artur's record, he always fights the best. He knows he's 35 and he wants to fight the best. He wants to prove himself and he knows that's his time is right now. He doesn't wanna waste time, he wanna fight everybody, challenge Sergey Kovalev, everybody
Kriegel: What happens October 18th?
GSP: Artur Beterbiev will be a champion, and I believe he will do it either by knockout or in the decision.
Kriegel: Two belts for your protégé.
GSP: I really believe it. I think mentally he's so strong. You know, everybody can make a mistake down the road, I believe he's a human being, you know, like anything can happen and it doesn't matter what happens, he's gonna come back and win. I think you have to see your career like a marathon, not like a sprint, and sometimes down the road you make a mistake or something happens and doesn't matter. For me, when I see the big picture of Artur Beterbiev, he's unifying all the titles, and he's the best boxer and champion.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - diehard - 10-17-2019
Unfortunately, this fight is not on Sky, either free or for $35. Supposed to be on Saturday afternoon (NZ time). Hopefully, it'll change. Right now, it's showing UFC.
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-17-2019
It is on ESPN in the States but at this stage there isn't even a deal in place to show it in the UK which a lot of fans are upset about. I had no faith that Sky would be showing it so already bought it on Fite TV for USD 14.99:
https://www.fite.tv/watch/top-rank-beterbiev-vs-gvozdyk/2p2bd/
I don't buy a lot of fights but wasn't missing this one for the world; coverage will be getting underway at 2PM Saturday NZ time. Can't wait!
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - diehard - 10-17-2019
Usually ESPN shows boxing in NZ, as they have 2 channels here. Except one is UFC and the other I forget, but not boxing. I'll keep looking for it...
RE: Pro Fights in other Divisions - nullanulla - 10-17-2019
https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/27852690/artur-beterbiev-oleksandr-gvozdyk-give-clarity-crowded-division
Artur Beterbiev-Oleksandr Gvozdyk will give clarity to a crowded division
Steve Kim
ESPN
Four light heavyweights hold the division's four major world titles, but by late Friday night -- barring a no-contest or a draw -- that number of titleholders will be reduced to three. WBC titlist Oleksandr Gvozdyk and IBF belt-holder Artur Beterbiev are set to face off in a unification bout at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia (10 p.m. ET on ESPN).
Sergey Kovalev (WBO) and Dmitry Bivol (WBA) are the other two light heavyweight titleholders, but there is no clear No. 1 at 175, or any easy way to separate them. Gvozdyk vs. Beterbiev could be a good opportunity to bring some clarity to the top of this weight class.
Let's take a look at where each titleholder stands in the division:
Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0 14 KOs)
The 32-year-old Ukrainian won his belt by stopping Adonis Stevenson in December.
Gvozdyk, who was part of the storied Ukrainian national amateur team -- which also included unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk -- came into the pro ranks as a highly touted prospect, and for the most part he has lived up to the billing. He's a solid technician with an upright, orthodox style, who does a good job controlling distance and spacing, and has a right hand that's as straight as an arrow. Gvozdyk is trained by Teddy Atlas, who has built a close bond with "The Nail."
Gvozdyk can be described as a cerebral fighter, who is also very well rounded inside the ring. A victory over Beterbiev will give Gvozdyk -- who is ranked No. 1 in the light heavyweight division by ESPN -- a strong claim in solidifying his top spot.
Chances of unifying the division: Gvozdyk gets step one against Beterbiev. Fortunately for him, he is under the promotional banner of Top Rank (which also promotes Beterbiev and co-promotes Kovalev), which makes unification fights in the division easier. As for fully consolidating 175, it likely will depend on what happens on Nov. 2 when Kovalev faces middleweight world titlist Canelo Alvarez, who's going up in weight for the fight. While Kovalev is ensconced as a light heavyweight, it's not clear if Canelo will stay in the division if he wins.
Best possible unification bout: Beterbiev is the most favorable unification fight for Gvozdyk given that Beterbiev's style is probably easier to decipher than Bivol's long-range boxing. Gvozdyk and Beterbiev have some history between them, too, as they met as amateurs about a decade ago. In that fight, Beterbiev scored a second-round stoppage.
Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs)
Beterbiev is a beast, one who can hurt you with any punch he throws. What he may lack in technical precision, he makes up for it in natural strength. His record says it all: None of his opponents have seen the final bell. That includes Radivoje Kalajdzic, who had never been stopped in 25 previous fights, only to be dominated by Beterbiev in a fifth-round KO on May 4. Beterbiev, ranked fourth at 175 by ESPN, makes no pretense of being a ring stylist -- he's a guy who always comes forward. He has been buzzed and knocked down, but he has always gotten up and turned things around.
Chances of unifying the division: Like Gvozdyk, Beterbiev has a chance to add another belt to his collection on Friday, and you get the sense that at age 34, he doesn't want to take meaningless fights moving forward. He has a fan-friendly style, and as long as the other belt-holders are on the same side of the street as he is, there really shouldn't be an issue making unification bouts.
Best possible unification bout: Gvozdyk is the best unification matchup for Beterbiev. While Bivol is becoming an ultra-cautious boxer, who hides behind his jab from the outside, and Kovalev, a weathered veteran, still has a very educated left hand. Gvozdyk, on the other hand, is a guy who, despite his skills, will mix it up at times. Based on how their meeting as amateurs played out, Beterbiev enters this clash with a psychological advantage.
Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs)
"The Krusher" might be in the twilight of his career, but he has the best résumé of all the current light heavyweight titleholders by far. After he was knocked out by Eleider Alvarez last summer, it looked like Kovalev's best days were behind him, but to his credit, Kovalev is now going through a career renaissance under the guidance of trainer Buddy McGirt. Since they started working together, Kovalev conclusively gained revenge on Alvarez in February, and then held off the challenge of Anthony Yarde in late August in an 11-round TKO victory.
Kovalev, the second-ranked light heavyweight in ESPN's divisional rankings, is still a very effective fighter who, instead of hitting through guys as he did earlier in his career, now tenderizes opponents with his consistent jab. Yeah, he's a vulnerable fighter now, which is a big part of the reason Canelo decided to face him in the first place, but he's still a difficult out at 175.
Chances of unifying the division: If Kovalev should beat Canelo, you'd figure that the other light heavyweight titleholders would absolutely want to face him as soon as possible. He would be the big-money fight in the division, and he would still have the WBO belt in his possession to boot. How much credit will Kovalev receive for defeating a fighter moving up two full weight classes to face him? Quite a bit, actually, as it would come against one of the biggest marquee names in boxing. It would do wonders in rebuilding his popularity, and he would once again be the man to beat at 175.
Best possible unification bout: Given that he and Gvozdyk share manager Egis Klimas, this might be a tad awkward for everyone involved. Beterbiev would be a very interesting opponent, given that both fighters have questionable punch resistance and their styles would mesh well. Kovalev, with his attack predicated on the jab, against Beterbiev's power is a recipe for a good fight, with both men a threat to stun one another at any time.
Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs)
Bivol is talented and undefeated, but in recent fights he has seen his stock drop. It's not that he has been in any real danger, but after scoring a series of eye-opening knockouts while introducing himself to the American audience, his past four bouts have gone the distance. It isn't so much that his fights are going to the scorecards, but rather a growing trend of Bivol seemingly becoming more and more cautious in his approach inside the ring.
Using his left jab, Bivol, ranked third by ESPN at 175 pounds, is a master in jousting from the outside and using the perimeter of the ring. The issue is that there doesn't seem to be another layer to his attack, and he seems content with just outpointing his opponents. While he wins by wide margins on the cards, Bivol isn't gaining any style points for his efforts. Bivol easily controlled Lenin Castillo in his most recent fight, on Saturday, but you could hear how restless the audience was by the end of this contest.
Chances of unifying the division: While Gvozdyk, Beterbiev and Kovalev have relationships of varying degrees with Top Rank, Bivol, a broadcaster free agent, has had his past two bouts on DAZN and promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Even if one of these title fights against Bivol could be made, have Bivol's recent performances really created a demand for any of those other titleholders to face him?
Best possible unification bout: Any of them. Beggars can't be choosers, as they say. Right now Bivol needs some real challenges who will get him out of the safe cocoon he clearly has mastered.