Boxing fans eagerly awaiting the highly anticipated light heavyweight unification clash between WBA champion Dmitrii Bivol and WBC, IBF, and WBO titleholder Artur Beterbiev will have to wait a little longer. Beterbiev has withdrawn from the June 1 bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to a knee injury.
Bivol will now face Malik Zinad, an undefeated Libyan-born boxer based in Malta, in the main event. Zinad recently secured an IBF No. 2 position eliminator victory against Jerome Pampellone on April 24.
Beterbiev’s assistant trainer, John Scully, revealed that the 39-year-old boxer tore his meniscus, but noted that the mood in the gym has remained positive.
“He was looking good in sparring and getting stronger as he always does. But he’s also the type who doesn’t complain. It just happened in a freak accident while working out… just the normal wear and tear of his hard training,” Scully said.
The 5×5 undercard for the June 1 event in Riyadh remains unchanged, featuring a heavyweight clash between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, as well as several other intriguing matchups. Boxing fans can still look forward to an exciting night of action, even as they await the rescheduling of the highly anticipated Bivol-Beterbiev unification bout later this year.
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