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David Benavidez or David Morrell? Fans Answer Who Should Dmitry Bivol Fight After Artur Beterbiev Ends Up Under the Knife

Published May 3, 2024 | 11:14 PM EDT

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Two big names in the 175-pound weight class, Artur Beterbiev, and Dmitry Bivol, had a match scheduled for June 1. Now, it seems that the clash intended to resolve their undisputed argument has encountered a fate akin to the challenges the heavyweight division faced earlier in the year. Artur Beterbiev has reportedly suffered an injury and needs to go through surgery. So the match with Bivol is now off the table. There’s a chance it might get rescheduled for a later part of the year.

The rest of Queensbury and Matchroom 5 vs. 5 would continue, it seems. However, as it appears, Dmitry Bivol might proceed with a fight against an opponent, substituting for the Canadian-Russian unified champion. This news bit was enough for some of the followers to share what they thought would be the most ideal match-up against Bivol.

Somebody to Face Dmitry Bivol

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So following the report of the fight postponement, talkSPORT‘s Michael Benson had an update on the June 1 main card. Citing ESPN‘s Mike Coppinger, he said, “Dmitry Bivol reportedly could now face a replacement opponent on June 1st after the Artur Beterbiev fight was postponed.

Seemingly, Beterbiev could be out of the ring for at least until September. The unified light heavyweight champion will undergo a surgical procedure on his knee to treat a torn meniscus. The fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol was one of the most sought-after in the boxing world. The entire fandom found itself elated when the match announcement came. Hence, the disappointment was apparent when the update came.

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Another injury and another big fight took a hit. First, it was the Tyson FuryOleksandr Usyk February 17 showdown. The fight for the heavyweight division’s undisputed title got canceled on account of Fury receiving an injury while sparring. As a result, it was canceled and subsequently postponed to May 18. Who might have known it would be the light heavyweight division’s turn next?

Selections on Offer!

Both David Benavidez and David Morrell are making their 175-pound debuts this year. It’s not that the division lacks other names; however, given their size and profile, they became the natural choices for most speaking on the alternates.

This user straightaway dived into the point that, along with Benavidez and Yarde, Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi make up for reasonable substitutions.

But for the next one, it was either ‘The Mexican Monster’ or David Morrell.

This user narrowed it down further. So David Morrell is taking on Radivoje Kalajdzic in August. So instead of him going through an easy fight, why not bring him up on June 1 against Dmitry Bivol and check out who’s the best in the weight class? the user asked.

To this follower also, the substitution choices end with either Benavidez or Morrell.

But this follower wondered why boxing fans end up being so unlucky when it comes to some of the best fights the sport has to offer. They sounded completely despondent with the Bivol-Beterbiev fight going a cropper.

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Whatever is said and done, even if the June 1 main event continues with a replacement, fans would want to see Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol get in the ring together. By next January, the former would turn 40, so any further delay would take the sheen off one of the highly coveted bouts.

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Thankfully, Queensbury and Matchroom’s 5 versus 5 would continue. With line-ups such as those of Deontay WilderZhilei Zhang and Filip HrgovicDaniel Dubois, the whole segment has enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Given a choice, who would be your pick to go against Dmitry Bivol? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

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Jaideep Unnithan is a senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports. Inching towards the milestone of 2000 articles with pride, he has been a chronicler of day-to-day developments happening inside and outside of the squared circle. Having a keen eye on the punches traded inside the ring, he has written opinion pieces breaking down the fighting styles of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha