Quick Look at the Light Heavyweight Division
By Eddie Sanchez
The Light Heavyweight division is at an interesting place at the moment. Former Championship mainstay, Sergey Kovalev is likely to forever be a former champ after his loss to Canelo Alvarez in November 2019. Amplifying this notion further is the fact that Kovalev recently got busted for PEDs. At his advanced age, it is likely he will not get another title opportunity again. It’s the end of an era in some respects.
The division is seemingly still in a good position though. There are two tough champions in Dimitry Bivol (WBA, 17-0) and Artur Beterbiev (IBF & WBC, 15-0), while the WBO championship is currently vacant.
Take a closer look however and you will notice that Dimitry and Artur have not fought since October 2019. While much of their inactivity is due to COVID-19, fans are still in a frustrating position as they will inevitably have to continue waiting for them to meet in the ring for a unification bout.
Artur Beterbiev is set to return March 20th against Adam Deines on ESPN. Fans are surely excited for his return given the long delay and recent postponement due to his own positive COVID test earlier this month. Although there is excitement, the narrative surrounding this bout seemingly ends there; Artur is expected to continue his dominant title reign with ease and move on to new opportunities.
Before this bout takes place, the WBO will crown a new champion on February 13th. Joe Smith Jr. will take on Top Rank’s Maxim Vlasov for the vacant strap. Joe Smith Jr. has been sort of a cult hero in the boxing community after his victories over Andrzej Fonfara and Bernad Hopkins in 2016. The public resonates with him because of his personality. By day he runs a construction company, and by night he trains for world title opportunities.
Based on how the industry functions politically, fans may have their next eight months or so outlined for the top of the Light Heavyweight division. Given that Smith Jr.-Vlasov is on ESPN, and Top Rank is supporting the promotion, it seems like the winner has an inside shot at a potential unification fight with Artur Beterbiev, assuming he is victorious in March on ESPN as well.
If this proves to be true and the next two bouts for Beterbiev are Adam Deines and the winner of Smith Jr.-Vlasov, fans will likely be slightly disappointed that Dimitry Bivol will be sitting on the outside looking in.
Bivol is a highly respected fighter. He is currently showcased on DAZN and we are at a frustrating point in his promotion as there is little news about who his next opponent may be, or even when he is expected to return.
Last month, I read rumors about former Super Middleweight Champion Gilberto Ramirez being targeted as a potential opponent. After four weeks however, I have not heard any further mention of these two men facing each other, and have now read that Zurbo Ramirez is targeting Marcus Browne for the Interim WBC belt. This would be a nice fight, but could distance them from a potential Bivol bout. The victor would move into prime position for a future bout with Beterbiev, who holds the full WBC belt.
Seeing the bouts that are scheduled and rumored over the next few months, it is fair to wonder where Dimitry Bivol will pivot from here. 38 year old Jean Pascal is the WBA regular champion, which would set him up in a nice position to face Bivol. He is a credible veteran, but these two men fought in 2018 to two scores of 119-109 and one of 117-111. In other words, this was not a close enough fight to warrant a rematch, especially considering Bivol’s lengthy absence.
The best hope for Bivol would be to convince Zurbo to face him instead of Marcus Browne. He is a name opponent with considerable skills. An opponent of his caliber would go a long way in sharpening his standing for a potential fight with Beterbiev. Zurbo may also be convinced as he is surely anxious to get a world title opportunity, especially when he understands that Beterbiev may have an easy path to picking up an extra belt given the political nature of the sport.
The ultimate wish from boxing fans is that we end 2021 with an answer for, who is the best in the Light Heavyweight division? The first step is seeing where we stand in March. By then, we will have completed the Smith Jr.-Vlasov and Beterbiev-Deines fights. Top Rank’s intentions for a unification will be spoken for. We will find out whether they prioritize another easy belt, or a legacy defining unification with Bivol.
What is not guaranteed by March is whether we will have an answer for Dimitry Bivol’s next opportunity. Given the way the industry is moving at the moment, I have faith that Bivol will have some sort of plan rumored, if not set in stone at that point.
For now though, fans will have to be appreciative of the two fights we currently have scheduled, and be patient with their debates for who truly sits at the top of the division.
