Boxing News: Gvozdyk Wary of Beterbiev’s Declining Health Ahead of Bivol Showdown
Oleksandr Gvozdyk, the former WBC light heavyweight champion, is all too familiar with the devastating power and potential of Artur Beterbiev. In 2019, Gvozdyk suffered the only loss of his professional career at the hands of the hard-hitting Beterbiev during a title unification fight.
Gvozdyk, who holds a 20-1 record with 16 KOs, was ahead on the scorecards but was ultimately dropped three times in the 10th round, leading to a knockout defeat. The former champion was immediately hospitalized after the fight and subsequently retired the following year at the age of 33, citing the pandemic as an opportunity to pursue business ventures.
However, Gvozdyk’s retirement was short-lived, as he made his comeback in February 2023, securing three consecutive wins. Now, he has secured a fight against the undefeated David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) on June 15 for the WBC interim 175-pound title. A victory for the underdog Gvozdyk could potentially earn him a shot at the winner of the highly anticipated showdown between Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs).
“Beterbiev is starting to fall apart and getting injured pretty often,” Gvozdyk told BoxingScene. “He’s not a young guy and it’s not a joke anymore. He’s almost 40 years old. He’s been fighting since he got out of the crib. He’s had many injuries and many wars.”
Beterbiev and Bivol were initially scheduled to clash in an undisputed title fight this past Saturday, but Beterbiev’s persistent injury issues, including a recent ruptured meniscus requiring knee surgery, have led to a rescheduling of the bout for later this year. Gvozdyk is uncertain about Beterbiev’s chances, given the Russian boxer’s declining health and advancing age.
Gvozdyk acknowledged that the best version of Beterbiev would likely defeat Bivol, but he’s unsure of what kind of Beterbiev will show up, especially after his latest serious injury. He also pointed out that Bivol, who is set to face the unbeaten Malik Zinad in Saudi Arabia on June 1, is still developing as a fighter, while Beterbiev may have reached his peak.
“It really depends on the shape of Beterbiev,” Gvozdyk concluded. “I won’t be able to make a prediction.”
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