Teddy Atlas has weighed in on an undisputed potential clash between Russian lightweight contenders Dmitri Bivol and Artur Beterbiev – and believes Bivol has what it takes to beat his destructive compatriot .
The legendary trainer revealed that, for his money, Bivol’s stoic mentality coupled with his superhuman skill set made him the only boxer in the division who could topple Beterbiev.
Speaking on his podcast The Battle With Teddy AtlasI said:
“That [Bivol vs Beterbiev] is the fight I want to see. It was an interesting and exciting fight.”
“Bivol is the guy I think can beat Beterbiev right now. Beterbiev isn’t young anymore, so whatever he’s going to do, it’s best if he does it soon.”
“For now, I’m going to make Bivol a little more popular. He has the skill set to beat Beterbiev – but so do the others. More importantly, he had the spirit to do it when the fire broke out. I think with Bivol’s background, he will have the spirit of resilience to continue doing what he does when the fire comes from Beterbiev.”
“Everybody that Betterbiev has faced so far, he has done it. But I don’t think he made it to Bivol.”
Bivol is the highest rated boxer of the year by many experts for 2022, after he watched his upset defeat to Canelo Alvarez in May with a close perfect punch against Gilberto Ramirez in Abu Dhabi in the first day of this month.
However, a fight with Betterbiev is unlikely to come next. The 37-year-old is set to defend his three world titles against Brit Anthony Yarde next Januarywhile a rematch with Canelo Alvarez looks the most likely for Bivol in 2023.
