Dmitry Bivol Finds Strong Ally in WBC Champion Amid Mounting ‘Ducking’ Controversy

Dmitry Bivol made a major decision last month that shocked the boxing world. The Russian champion informed the WBO that he would be vacating the light heavyweight title he won after defeating Artur Beterbiev in February. The reason? The 34-year-old boxer wants to devote his full attention to his upcoming trilogy bout. With Bivol’s return expected next year against a familiar foe, fans have begun speculating that he might be avoiding another champion.

Many are anticipating a potential matchup between Bivol and Shakur Stevenson, who recently retained his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda in July 2025. However, talks between the two camps have reportedly been minimal. Amid the ongoing speculation, the current WBC lightweight Champion decided to weigh in, praising Bivol’s approach and noting that the Russian made a smart move by staying silent and not fueling further conjecture among the audience. 

Shakur Stevenson sides with Dmitry Bivol for staying silent on their fight  

In an interview with TheDivineHook, the 28-year-old said, “I think he’s Bivol, and I even think he doesn’t gotta say anything. No disrespect. I love the fans, but the fans are not realistic. Truthfully, we don’t gotta say anything at all and can just keep it moving. At the end of the day, fans are gonna believe whatever they’re gonna believe regardless. So, it doesn’t matter what you say—you’re not gonna change anyone’s mind. I think a guy like Bivol has played it perfectly.”   

Well, some might find Stevenson’s remarks a bit harsh because he’s directly taking shots at the fans. But there’s some truth to it! Dmitry Bivol is in a position where he needs to prove himself by facing Beterbiev in a trilogy. The pair currently sit at 1-1, and the final fight could very well determine who’s the better boxer between them. So, it makes sense that the Russian’s camp would be fully focused on that matchup rather than entertaining other possible fights right now.

That said, if “The Last Crescendo” stars happen to complete their chapter, it’s likely to be in 2026. And after that wraps up, the possibility of other amazing matchups is definitely going to open! Making things even more interesting! Shakur himself has other superfights on his radar, and honestly, one option he mentioned looks extremely enticing, too. 

Stevenson wants to see ‘The Matrix’ fight David Benavidez  

Dmitry Bivol’s star power is evident from the fact that every boxer wants a shot at him. Fans are eager to see him face some truly tough competition—and who better than the youngest super middleweight world champion in history? David Benavidez, a titleholder across multiple weight divisions, is exactly that. Because of this, Stevenson believes a matchup with Benavidez would make an awesome fight, alongside the Beterbiev trilogy. 

At the Cigar Talk podcast, the WBC lightweight champ said, “I would rather see the Benavidez fight. I mean Beterbiev deserves a trilogy technically, because of the first fight. I thought Bivol won the first fight too, but me, I think that Benavidez and Bivol is another fight that is one of the biggest and best fights in the sport of boxing, I don’t know if its the biggest but one of the best as far as like competitive wise.” 

This suggestion also carries weight in the current climate. Benavidez has teased a move up to light heavyweight after conquering super middleweight, and promoters like Eddie Hearn have publicly floated Bivol–Benavidez as a “superfight” candidate. Pairing two technically sharp, undefeated champions could draw crossover attention, rivaling even Canelo’s box office pull.

And Stevenson makes a point here! Bivol vs. Benavidez would be an awesome fight, one that’s sure to grab the audience’s attention. So, once the trilogy bout against Beterbiev wraps up, we might get to see that fight as well. And who knows? By then, Bivol might even be interested in taking on Shakur. The range of possibilities in the boxing world is looking very wide right now.

In the meantime, fan debates online continue to shape the narrative. On X, hashtags like #BivolBenavidez and #BeterbievBivol3 have trended after Stevenson’s remarks, reflecting how invested the boxing community is in both matchups. While some argue Bivol is “ducking” by setting aside his WBO belt, others counter that prioritizing legacy fights ensures fans will witness history rather than routine mandatories. That polarization itself has kept Bivol’s name buzzing during his injury layoff.

With that being said, do you think the Russian will come back stronger after recovering from his back injury? Would he be able to take on Beterbiev again and then move on to face other star opponents? Let us know in the comments section below.