Lionel ‘Lonnie B’ Thompson is siding with Artur Beterbiev to defeat the gunshy Dmitry Bivol on Saturday evening, October twelfth, of their undisputed mild heavyweight championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Thompson says WBA champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) lacks the “Killer intuition,” that spark {that a} fighter will need to have to have any probability of defeating IBF, WBC and WBO champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs).
Certainly, Thompson feels that Beterbiev’s final opponent, Callum Smith, was a more durable opponent for him than what Bivol shall be because of his dimension and punching energy.
Smith landed some great photographs on Beterbiev throughout that struggle that will have stopped most fighters within the 175-lb division, however he took them and beat up the British fighter to attain a seventh-round knockout final January in Quebec Metropolis, Canada.
Bivol most likely received’t struggle as aggressively as Smith as a result of he’s extra of a pure boxer who shies away from getting hit in his fights. That’s why Bivol couldn’t make a dent within the a lot smaller Canelo Alvarez when he moved up from 168 to problem him for his WBA 175-lb title in Could 2022.
“Callum Smith is a more durable opponent than Bivol as a result of he can punch; he’s rangy. I say that as a result of preventing guys which can be tall and rangy are exhausting to struggle as a result of they will damage you coming in,” stated Lionell Thompson to Fighthype about him being that Artur Beterbiev’s final opponent, Callum Smith, was a more durable opponent for him than what Dmitry Bivol shall be this Saturday evening.
Callum Smith got here to struggle towards Beterbiev final January, and made the competition entertaining to look at for the primary 5 rounds earlier than it turned a route. Bivol would by no means struggle as aggressively towards Beterbiev or anybody in the way in which that Smith did as a result of that’s not how his thoughts works. Bivol focuses on touchdown, and getting away unscathed. He’s not going to alter that method for this struggle towards the harmful puncher Beterbiev.
“It’s simpler for them to harm you than you may damage them since you received to punch up whereas they’re punching down whereas they’re stepping again,” stated Thompson. “They will step again and hit you exhausting from an extended vary. You bought to take extra possibilities.
“Canelo shouldn’t have even been preventing Canelo, interval, however he did. You noticed the scale distinction. My factor is that this: Bivol doesn’t have the killer intuition. Canelo didn’t have a busted lip. Everyone seems to be speaking like he dogged Canelo.
“You wouldn’t even assume Canelo fought a lightweight heavyweight that evening. So, should you’re making an attempt to not get robbed, knock him out. That confirmed me that Bivol don’t received it. He don’t received that additional [stuff to knock out an opponent]. He performed it secure as a result of he was nervous about getting caught by a 160-pounder,” Thompson stated about Bivol preventing scared. He’s imagined to be this monster. ‘You’re going to have such a tough time,’” stated Lonnie B about Bivol.
