In a thrilling boxing spectacle in Riyadh, Dmitry Bivol reclaimed the undisputed light-heavyweight world title from Artur Beterbiev. The judges scored the bout 114-114, 116-112, and 115-113 in favor of Bivol, marking a dramatic victory for the 34-year-old boxer. Meanwhile, Shakur Stevenson successfully retained his WBC lightweight title by stopping Josh Padley at the end of nine rounds. Joseph Parker also made headlines by stopping Martin Bakole in two rounds during their WBO Interim bout.
Bivol's victory avenged a previous defeat to Beterbiev, where the scores were similar but favored the latter. This time, Bivol dominated the early rounds, taking control over the first three rounds before Beterbiev found his rhythm in the fourth. Despite Bivol ending the fight with blood streaming from the top of his left eye, he emerged victorious.
“I was better, I was pushing myself more, I was more confident, I was lighter and I just wanted to win so much today.” – Dmitry Bivol
Beterbiev, aged 40, could only claim the final round but failed to secure the win. After the scores were announced, he did not shake hands with Bivol, reflecting the intense rivalry between the two boxers.
“Actually, I didn’t want the second fight, it wasn’t my choice, but no problem. We’re going to do a third fight,” – Artur Beterbiev
The fight was notably livelier than their previous encounter, with both fighters pushing themselves to new limits. Bivol expressed a need for rest after his efforts but remained open to future challenges.
“I want to heal myself a little bit and come back,” – Dmitry Bivol
Shakur Stevenson added to the night's excitement by defeating Josh Padley in nine rounds to retain his WBC lightweight title. Stevenson expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting that this fight surpassed their prior encounter.
“I thought this fight was better than the first fight, but we’ll see. Now is my time to come back.” – Shakur Stevenson
In a separate bout, Joseph Parker demonstrated his prowess by stopping Martin Bakole within two rounds of their WBO Interim bout, underscoring his dominance in the ring.
