By the end of 12 absorbing rounds in Riyadh, between the two best light-heavyweight boxers on the planet, calls for a rematch between newly-crowned undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev and defeated Dimitry Bivol were loud and immediate.
A fight that had promised so much duly delivered at the Kingdom Arena as Beterbiev added Bivol's WBA belt to the WBC, WBO, and IBF titles already in his possession to become the 175-pound division's first four-belt world champion.
The Canada-based Russian kept his unbeaten record intact but not his perfect knockout rate, getting taken the distance for the first time in his 21-fight professional career and earning the victory on the scorecards. One judge scored the fight a 114-114 draw while the second gave it to Beterbiev by one round 115-113. The third judge, however, saw it wider and awarded the 39-year-old victory 116-112, causing Bivol's promoter Eddie Hearn to launch into an impassioned tirade.
"I don't want to disrespect Beterbiev but that judge should never work again," Hearn said. "They're both tremendous fighters. No one on our row had Beterbiev win. We got in the ring and I'm looking round at Beterbiev and they're all deflated."
Hearn, of course, was not an impartial observer but his views were shared by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and the key figure behind boxing's Saudi Arabia-led revolution.
"I don't think the result is fair, in my opinion," Alalshikh said. "[Both] fighters are like my brothers, but I think Bivol won two rounds more. I don't know why the result [is] like this, but in my opinion, I will focus and I will try to do the rematch. They deserve it. If they accept, we will do it."
To be clear, this was by no means a robbery. Throughout the bout, there was never much between the superstar fighters as Bivol used his speed to land early blows, while Beterbiev warmed to the task in the middle rounds before a late flurry in the final rounds proved the crucial difference in the eyes of the judges.
Both Russians showed patience in the opening rounds before Bivol went to work with his left jab and right hook as his speed troubled Beterbiev. The tide began to turn through the fifth and sixth rounds as Beterbiev began landing his right hook, forcing Bivol onto the defensive.
The bout spurred to life in the seventh as both fighters attacked. A big left by Bivol forced Beterbiev against the ropes, but Beterbiev responded with a heavy jab and short left hook as both fighters ended the round showing damage.
Beterbiev had only been beyond the seventh round five times in his 20 previous fights, but Bivol was going to make this go the distance as he was again the more assertive through rounds eight and nine.
But Beterbiev came back again in the 10th with a strong round to leave the fight in the balance and continued the assault into the 11th as a right hook to Bivol’s body was followed by an uppercut in a rare clear round win.
The final round saw Beterbiev up the tempo even more as he sought to extend his incredible record of winning every bout inside the distance, but Bivol held on to deny his compatriot a knockout blow.
“I feel not bad," Beterbiev said to DAZN after the fight. "I wanted to box with more quality. I’ll be better one day. It was a little bit uncomfortable. Of course, it was a tough fight because Dmitry is a tough champion and he has tough skills, better than me.”
Asked if he would be interested in a rematch with Bivol, the champion said: “If 'His Excellency’ [Alalshikh] wants, we gonna do [it].”
Bivol was gracious after suffering a first defeat in his 24th fight and refused to blame the scoring for the outcome of the bout. “I am a warrior. I had to do everything perfect [to win]. And I don’t have any explanation, because it could look like excuses. I just [say] congratulations to Artur and his team. He deserved it – no problem. I just have time to make another decision for my future. That’s it.”
Unsurprisingly, he too would be interested in running it back, saying: “We should ask boxing fans. Do they want this rematch? If they want, I would like to give this rematch and I would like to get this chance, of course, again.”
A rematch not only makes sense due to the competitiveness of Saturday night but also for the opportunity to create legacy moments for the fighters and the sport of boxing. As proven by the sheer quality of the fight, Beterbiev and Bivol are far and away the leading boxers in the division, and their rivalry feels primed for a trilogy.
This was a fight that may never have happened, one deemed solely for the purists that had never made financial sense before Saudi Arabia's involvement. Even after it was signed and sealed for June 1, a knee injury to Beterbiev that required surgery threatened to derail the fight once again. Now that it's happened and justified all the anticipation, the rematch will have even broader appeal.
"There has to be a rematch because ... there’s always gonna be the controversy of that fight," Hearn said. “And he’s a true champion. What other fight is there for Artur Beterbiev? I mean, the whole world will want to see that again."
