February 22nd sees what many boxing fans have called the greatest card the sport has ever had—the Beterbiev vs. Bivol rematch topping the bill in Riyadh.
After a brilliant bout in Riyadh last time out, Dmitry Bivol gets a second chance at the undisputed title.
Daniel Dubois returns to the ring with hopes to claim a second heavyweight belt against current holder Joseph Parker.
Five other head-to-heads with some of boxing’s biggest names will take place on the same night, an evening anticipated to be phenomenal.
Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II – Undisputed World Light Heavyweight Championship
Defending champ Artur Beterbiev takes on fierce rival Dmitry Bivol in a rematch of one of the fights of the year.
Beterbiev comes in with an undefeated record of 21-0-0 – 20 by knockout—the only man to make the distance is his upcoming opponent.
Controversy came from the result of the last outing. The three judges scored it 114-113, 115-113, and 116-112, crowning the undisputed champion.
Although Bivol took the loss respectfully, he will be looking to snatch the belts in February.
His record now is 23-1-0, with 12 being by way of knockout.
The youngest of the two started strong, winning the first two rounds comfortably, but the warning signs came for the Russian in the third.
Some compared the clash to a game of chess due to the technicalities of how it went.
Artur Beterbiev moved with pace around the ring aiming to get in on the inside of Bivol’s long jab whilst maintaining control of the centre for majority of the fight.
Bivol focused on keeping the power puncher at a distance.
The result was disputed by fans due to the actions of the victor’s corner between the 10th and 11th rounds, as they stated he had to knock his opponent out.
Unanimous scorecards were evidently in Beterbiev’s favour as the fight came to a close – which came to the disgust of Eddie Hearn.
This crowned Beterbiev as the first Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion since Roy Jones in 1999.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker – IBF World Heavyweight Championship
The WBC belt belongs to the challenger for this one, Dubois aims for his second title after a massive win against Anthony Joshua this year in a Wembley masterclass.
Dubois’ record is 22-2-0 with 21 via KO.
AJ chose not to trigger the rematch clause and so the Briton could slot into this card to fight for the IBF Heavyweight title.
However, Joseph Parker stands in his way, a man with much more experience on the big stage with a staggering 35-3-0 record.
The 32-year-old is on a five win streak with his last victory against Zhilei Zhang in March which saw him hit the deck in rounds three and eight.
A majority decision was enough however, continuing his top form on from the win before against Deontay Wilder.
Parker has had nearly a year out of the ring which may affect the defender, but a busy 2023 saw the fighter against some of the best.
Stylistically, two heavy hitters face one another in this one, with Dubois expected to take control of the fight’s pace from the centre.
Daniel Dubois was seen to hit AJ with a few big overhand rights whilst driving at his opponent wildly swinging.
This may be threatening to Parker who spent the majority of the Zhang fight on the outside, but his power and experience is likely to come into play and act as a real tough challenger for the young Daniel Dubois.
Shakur Stevenson vs Floyd Schofield – WBC World Lightweight Championship
Stevenson (22-0-0) steps onto his first Riyadh bill being one of the most exciting younger talents out of the States right now.
His last victory came by unanimous decision to Artem Harutyunyan where he gained the title on the line.
The 2023 opener was the most impressive win for the southpaw sensation, defeating Shuichiro Yoshino who was undefeated by technical knockout.
From the other corner stands Floyd Schofield with a record of 18-0-0.
Schofield is yet to lose, with four big wins on his record from this year – Shakur is recognised to be his most challenging opponent yet.
The style of Stevenson has been criticised in the past for being lacklustre and failing to get enough punches off as the bouts go on.
In his WBC title winning fight, the 27-year-old did not produce double-digit punches in any of the 12 rounds.
However, he is still known as one of the most promising in his division, so this is expected to be a good clash.
Schofield has been known to favour his right-hand power and speed with an orthodox stance that will go against the defender.
Carlos Adames vs Hamzah Sheeraz – WBC World Middleweight Championship
Carlos Adames holds the belt ahead of their undercard clash which the rising talent and undefeated Hamzah Sheeraz will be yearning for in the build-up.
The defender goes into the bout with a record of 24-1-0, his last victory in Las Vegas over Terell Gausha got him the desired title.
Adames has a 5’11” build with a 73″ reach compared to the whopping 6’3″ height of his opponent.
A height advantage which worked massively in the favour of Sheeraz, his last fight came on the Joshua vs Dubois undercard in the English capital.
Tyler Denny didn’t make the distance with the 25-year-old as it was stopped in the second round.
His last nine boxing bouts have not heard the final bell.
Adames has an aggressive style which may oppose the size difference – his speed and power compensating for the lesser reach too.
The Dominican powerhouse showed intention to dominate early in his last fight so may try to gain the upper hand on Sheeraz in the opening rounds.
However, the challenger is known for his explosive power and ability to keep his distance with his jab and towering height.
Although Sheeraz is expected to control the pace, this will certainly be his most difficult outing yet.
Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov – WBC World Interim Super Welterweight Championship
Three fights in 2024 saw Ortiz Jr make a name for himself and claim the Interim title in his Las Vegas showcase with a victory over Serhii Bohachuk.
His current record remains undefeated at 22-0-0, only one of them making it to the end.
Ortiz Jr did hit the deck twice in this fight which may come to his misfortune when facing ‘The Dream’ Israil Madrimov.
However, the Uzbek boxer wasn’t as fortunate in his last fight when he lost to Terence Crawford.
Madrimov’s record is 10-1-1 ahead of this one, seven wins by way of KO.
His opponent has been recognised throughout his career as a knockout artist – a fighting style which is powerful and sees him apply relentless pressure in the ring.
‘The Dream’ can be a bit of a nightmare himself with a strong punching power and style which is hard to deal with.
Joshua Buatsi vs Callum Smith – WBC World Interim Light Heavyweight Championship
Buatsi (19-0-0) gave Willy Hutchinson his first record loss in September with a massive win dropping the Brit in rounds six and nine.
Here the Olympic bronze medalist claimed the title on offer in Riyadh.
Callum Smith comes into the bout with much more experience, holding a record of 30-2-0, 22 by way of KO.
One of his losses came to the main man of the night – Artur Beterbiev.
Smith won his last fight which came to an early stop in the sixth, his opponent Carlos Gavin was put against the canvas three times before the referee waved it off.
His opponent in February holds the belt and will be looking to keep hold of it in the major bill.
Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel – WBC World Interim Heavyweight Championship
The Chinese brute Zhilei Zhang still stands strong at 41 with a 27-2-1 record ahead of meeting Kabayel in the ring.
His last fight was an all-important victory over Wilder in the five vs five card not too long ago.
Joseph Parker was the last man to stop Zhang’s streak, but the southpaw powerhouse still slumped the Brit twice.
Coming from Germany, Agit Kabayel (25-0-0) enters this one without a loss to his name.
Zhang will be the most experienced challenger he has faced, with his last victory coming in Riyadh during summer to Frank Sanchez via KO.
The 41-year-old has an unorthodox way in the ring which gives him a defensive advantage.
Zhilei Zhang’s huge build is likely to cause Kabayel problems as he will attempt to come inside and potentially be met with a jab of serious power.
However, Kabayel’s youth and general speed is likely to pay off and could be costly to the 6’6″ dynamo.
Many fans have been raving about the announcement of ‘The Last Crescendo’.
The credit is passed to his excellency Turki Alalshikh, who has taken the sport to the next level and provides the world with another exceptional night of boxing on February 22nd.
This card can be viewed on TNT Sports Box Office, Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN PPV.
