Why Dmitry Bivol was robbed from being the Undisputed Champion

This past Saturday featured the highly anticipated undisputed Light Heavyweight title bout between two of the most talented boxers of our generation.

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol faced off, with Beterbiev entering the bout as the only boxer holding a 100% knockout rate, boasting 20 wins and 20 KOs. Meanwhile, Bivol was regarded as one of the most technically skilled pound-for-pound fighters, known for having some of the best footwork in the sport.

The fight ended in a highly controversial decision favoring Artur Beterbiev, with one scorecard even reading 116-112, which I believe reflects blatant corruption. In this review, I’ll explain why I think Dmitry Bivol was the true winner of the bout.

Why writing an article?

Some may view this action as the behavior of a sore loser lamenting a lost bet, but I believe it’s essential to address and challenge injustice whenever it arises. Writing this article serves as an opportunity to shed light on the unfairness that can exist in competitive sports.

It’s crucial to advocate for transparency and accountability in judging to ensure that the true spirit of the competition is upheld. Ignoring these issues only perpetuates a cycle of injustice, and it is our responsibility to confront and discuss them openly.

The overall expected dynamics of the fight

Saying Beterbiev is a powerful puncher is an understatement. He’s arguably one of the hardest hitters in boxing. While he may not possess the one-punch knockout power of someone like Deontay Wilder, he can wear down opponents with a relentless accumulation of punches. Additionally, he’s highly skilled, being a former Russian Olympian.​

On the other hand, Bivol is a pure technician, with 12 KOs out of his 23 wins. While he has the power to knock out opponents, he is highly calculated and avoids unnecessary risks, much like Floyd Mayweather. Bivol likely has the best footwork in the sport, constantly moving and throwing punches while darting in and out of range. He’s also an excellent counter-puncher, showcasing the art of boxing with precision and finesse.

When a powerful puncher faces a pure boxer, it’s natural for the boxer to spend more time on the backfoot. Similar to Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury 1, the dynamic of the fight often unfolds with one fighter pressing forward as a swarmer, while the other, a counter-puncher, strategically stays on the backfoot.

How to score points in boxing

Judges score each round using a 10-point system. Typically, rounds are scored 10-9, with the fighter performing better receiving 10 points, and the other 9.

If a boxer is knocked down or hurt to the point where the referee steps in for a standing count, they lose an additional point, making the round 10-8 if the other fighter dominates and secures a knockdown.

If both fighters knock each other down in the same round, the deductions offset, and the round might still be scored 10-9 in favor of the better-performing boxer.

A judge can score a round 10-8 even without a knockdown, but only if one fighter clearly dominates the round by a significant margin, such as overwhelming control or nearly knocking out their opponent before the bell saves them.

Judges can also score a round 10-10 if they believe both fighters were equally matched, with no clear advantage to either.

What do boxing judges consider?

Here are the key criteria boxing judges use to evaluate who “won” or “lost” a round :

• Effective Aggression: While aggression shows dominance, it’s only effective if the boxer is landing punches without frequently getting countered. Judges favor aggression that consistently results in landed punches while avoiding the opponent’s attacks.
• Ring Generalship: This refers to the fighter who controls the pace of the fight, dictating the action and imposing their preferred style.
• Defense: Judges assess how well a boxer evades or blocks punches through slipping, parrying, or other defensive techniques. Strong defense is a critical factor.
• Hard and Clean Punches: It’s important to distinguish between punches that land cleanly and those that are blocked or glancing. Judges prioritize hard, accurate punches over volume that may not connect fully.

In my opinion, and this is simply my subjective perspective, a boxing match can essentially be summarized by who landed more clean punches in each rounds. The only factors that can override this are a knockdown or a knockout as the essence of Boxing is about hitting without getting hit.

The main arguments for the decision

The main arguments for this controversial decisions are :

• Beterbiev was the aggressor and was on the front foot all night
• Bivol has more bruises on his face
• Beterbiev punches that landed on gloves were damaging Bivol
• Beterbiev won the championship rounds

Aggression is only considered effective if the punches land and the boxer applying pressure isn’t getting countered, which was clearly not the situation here.

Boxers’ skin reacts differently to punches; even partially blocked shots can cause bruising. Bruises tend to be more visible in certain areas and may not show up on the chin or temple.​ Landing a single punch can result in a black eye, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the fight is won.

In my view, the fact that people resort to these two arguments indicates they cannot find any other evidence to support this win. This suggests that all other potential arguments are likely invalid and support Bivol’s case.

There are three kinds of punches :

• Clean punches (scoring points)
• Partially blocked punches (scoring points)
• Missed, blocked or deflected punches (not scoring points)

The majority of Beterbiev’s punches fell into the third category, which becomes evident when you watch the fight frame by frame. While some were partially blocked, only a small number of them were. There’s no question about clean punches—Bivol clearly outperformed, landing them far more effectively. The difference is like night and day.

By the 10th round, Beterbiev was trailing so much that his team urged him to go for a knockout. Even if he had won the last two rounds, which he clearly didn’t, especially the 12th, he would still have been behind.

Other similar cases

Wilder vs Fury 1

It’s fair to say that in this fight, unlike the previous two encounters, Fury spent most of the match on the defensive.

Deontay Wilder managed to score two knockdowns, with one nearly resulting in a knockout. Now, imagine a scenario in which Fury was on the back foot, never hurt Wilder, and still got knocked down twice, yet walked away with a draw.

This suggests that scoring points through evasive maneuvers and counterpunching is a viable strategy for winning rounds.

Usyk vs Joyce

Usyk is arguably the slickest fighter in boxing today and, in my view, the best pound-for-pound. While the Ukrainian champion is currently at the top of his game, he must fight on the back foot against a relentless opponent like Joyce.

Joe Joyce is an aggressive swarmer who rarely takes a step back. However, that doesn’t mean he automatically wins against Usyk. Physical strength and fighting style may determine who takes the offensive, but that doesn’t guarantee victory. If it did, we wouldn’t need to actually watch the fight; we could simply predict the outcome based on who the aggressor is.​

Mayweather vs Pacquiao

As a huge Pacquiao fan, I still believe Mayweather won that fight, despite spending much of the night on the back foot while Pacquiao threw more punches. Most of those punches were blocked, deflected, or slipped, which, in my view, only showcased how exceptional Mayweather’s defense really is.

What happened during the fight

This is just my personal opinion, but I believe Bivol was clearly the superior boxer in the early stages of the fight.

In fact, I would say that Beterbiev was being outclassed, while Bivol was showcasing a masterclass performance in the ring. Beterbiev appeared extremely frustrated, as he struggled to land clean punches like he typically does. That was from his own admission during the post-fight interview.

He probably only had about three rounds where he truly gained momentum, while Bivol was focused on defusing the situation with evasive maneuvers.​

Bivol was never wobbled; his knees never buckled, and he was never genuinely hurt to the point of needing to take a knee. While Beterbiev did land a few solid jabs and a notable power punch to the body, I believe Bivol was never truly affected and was simply focused on reversing the momentum.​

Bivol may have slowed down in the last three rounds, but that’s likely because he clearly won the majority of the first ten rounds. In fact, Beterbiev’s corner urged him to secure a knockout, as he hadn’t even scored a knockdown.​

List of boxers and experts giving Bivol the win

• Shakur Stevenson
• Tank Davis
• Eddie Hearn
• Frank Warren
• Turki Alalshikh
• Terence Crawford
• Ryan Garcia
• Robert Garcia
• Andre Ward
• Angel Garcia
• Josh Taylor
• Sean Porter
• Darren Barker
• Frank Smith
• Paul Malignaggi
• Spence Brown
• Carl Froch
• Stephen Espinoza
• Tony Bellew
• Sergio mora
• Callum Simpson
• Paul Smith

List of boxers and experts believing in at least a draw

• Roy Jones Jr

Three promoters organizing the event disagree

The 3 promoters that organized this match all thought that Bivol should have won by decision.

Eddie Hearn may have a bias as Bivol’s promoter, but to his credit, he has consistently shown sportsmanship in admitting defeat. I find his analysis to be quite accurate. Personally, I would have scored the fight 8-4 in favor of Bivol; a generous score would be 7-5, and a corrupted one would be 6-6. Seeing Beterbiev declared the winner was genuinely shocking for me.​

Frank Warren took a more measured approach in his reaction, but he sincerely believed that Bivol won that night by a few rounds.​

Turki Alalshikh took the time to say that he was impartial since two of the fighters are like brothers for him and still chose Bivol as the winner by two rounds.

The post fight interviews

Beterbiev Interview

You got a lot of hardware there now because you’re the Undisputed light heavyweight champion how does that feel ?

I feel not bad

I did not good today

I want more good box today but more quality you know
I don’t know why but I did like this fight but I’ll be better one day

How tough was this fight ?

It’s not tough uh, it’s like a little bit uncomfortable

Was this a tough fight ?

Of course this is tough fight

Because Dmitry too he is a world champion too like you know he has good skills maybe better than me but today Allah chose me

First three rounds it looks like Bivol was winning those early rounds what adjustments did you make in this fight ?

Adjustments ?

What changes did you make during the fight ?

You know during the fight we always tries to change something but, you know maybe I want to punch him, maybe that’s why I not deliver more punches I don’t know

Did you feel you were slowing him down with your power as the fight went on ?

No, because, because I not deliver him no one punch

When the final bell rang, did you think you did enough to win the fight ?

I yes, but it’s for me not not not comfortable, not uncomfortable because usually I am not waiting for bell. Today, but today I even like like it too.

Your corner, I think it was before the 10th round said to you, you need to knock him out, were you surprised to heart that ?

But they always say that

Did that make you any more agressive going into those final two rounds ?

Yes I am more focused but not more aggressive like more Focus.

First time going the distance, how does it feel to go the full 12 ?

It’s new my it’s my experience, I am happy for that I’m you know, I am very simple boxers like me boxers in the world like me I think more than thousand even Mohamed Ali have fights long distance all distance. I am not bad boxer even it’s not about me you know.

You had knee surgery about five months ago, how did you feel physically in the ring ?

It’s make react too for my uh uh preparation, because we need something modified you know change get it there.

You are the Undisputed champion but this was a fantastic fight that I think a lot of people would love to see again, would you be interested in a rematch for this fight ?

If His excellency want we will going to do

Bivol’s interview

 ‘I don’t have any explanations because it could look like excuses. I just say congratulations to Artur and his team, he deserves it. No problem. I did my job, I always feel I could be better, it’s just the opinions of judges. Congratulations Artur.’

Observations from these interviews

You can clearly observe that even Beterbiev is disappointed with his performance, feeling that he didn’t box well nor landed a single clean punch on Bivol.​ (“No, because, because I not deliver him no one punch”).

Even admitting that Dmitry’s skills were better than his : “Because Dmitry too he is a world champion too like you know he has good skills maybe better than me but today Allah chose me”.

Bivol, on the other hand, remarked, “I don’t have any explanations” for the decision because he truly believed he had won, stating that “it’s just the judges’ opinions.” This indicates his awareness of the subjective nature of boxing judging.

I think Bivol felt he had secured the victory and chose to handle the situation gracefully, recognizing that there was nothing he could say to alter the outcome or support his case.

The live odds of betting websites

William Hill

William Hill had Bivol heavy favorite in round 12. I am pretty sure most of the betting websites had similar odds.

The corners

Beterbiev’s corner

Beterbiev’s corner informed him that he needed a knockout by the tenth round, indicating their awareness that he was behind.

They understood that a knockdown wouldn’t suffice; only a knockout would guarantee victory. This wasn’t said to motivate him to win rounds, but rather out of genuine concern from his corner, recognizing that they were losing the fight.​

At the end of the 12th round, neither Beterbiev nor his corner celebrated a victory. In fact, they appeared dejected, staring at the floor and avoiding eye contact, with an unmistakable expression of defeat.​

Bivol’s corner

Bivol raised his hand in victory, confident that he had won the fight, and celebrated with his corner, reflecting his belief that he had clearly outpointed Beterbiev.​ His corner genuinely cheered him as well for the victory.

Rewatching the fight

The highlights

In my opinion, the highlights clearly reveal who the real winner is. Even if these highlights were edited and compiled by Bivol’s promoter DAZN, I challenge anyone to create a highlight reel showcasing Beterbiev’s best punches from this fight and compare them to Bivol’s without showing the real outcome of the fight.

It’s simply impossible because Beterbiev didn’t land more than 10 significant punches throughout the entire match.

My scoring card rewatching the fight (in progress)

Upon rewatching the fight, I honestly found it difficult to identify any clean punches landed by Beterbiev. Most of his shots consisted of slow jabs or body punches, as he struggled to make solid contact.​

I continue to watch the fight in slow motion to analyze every punch as objectively as possible, even attempting to count more punches for Beterbiev to ensure my perspective remains unbiased.

External factors

I won’t delve too deeply into conspiracy theories, but it’s worth noting that just before the final decision was announced, a prominent and influential figure entered the ring to celebrate Beterbiev’s victory.

A scorecard of 116-112 is clearly questionable, and it appears that many boxing matches tend to feature at least one card like this.

Conclusion

In boxing, erroneous decisions and corruption are prevalent, to the point where many people commend the UFC for ensuring that champions face one another and for maintaining fairness in their judging.​

This may be one of the first incorrect boxing decision I’ve observed at an event promoted by Riyadh Season, which has otherwise done an admirable job over the past year and honestly is saving boxing at the moment.

In my view, this decision was clearly incorrect, which is why it sparked controversy. When a fighter wins fairly and squarely, even in a close and competitive match, most people can accept the outcome. However, it’s only when the true results are evidently wrong that people begin to protest.

The fact that people have to depend on arguments about pressure and bruises, rather than providing evidence of the punches landed by Beterbiev, speaks volumes.​

One of the most frustrating aspects of boxing is that, following a controversial decision, some bot uses AI to generate comments promoting Beterbiev’s victory, creating an illusion of support for that decision.

Punches that are blocked by gloves, deflected, or missed entirely do not score points; in fact, they often highlight the opponent’s defensive skills.

The so-called most dangerous puncher in the world, who knocked out everyone he faced before in his professional career, couldn’t even score a knockdown or wobble his opponent, barely landing a clean punch. Meanwhile, the technical boxer, known for his exceptional footwork, expertly avoided or blocked the punches with his movement and gloves, neutralizing the relentless pressure with precise counters and footwork.

How can anyone promote the effectiveness of an aggressor who was ineffective and completely outclassed by a superior boxer all night. Even he admitted he didn’t land a single clean punch and acknowledged that Bivol might be more skilled.

When someone loses fair and square in a competitive fight, people tends to accept it. It was a robbery, plain and simple; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much controversy.

Now, picture dedicating your entire life to boxing, making countless sacrifices and the right choices—even in the ring on fight night—only to witness corruption rob you of your most important victory while remaining gracious about it.

In my view, Bivol emerged victorious that night on every level, both inside and outside the ring. What a Masterclass. But again that’s just my perspective.