WBC STATISTICS
WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship
Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship
February 22, 2025 / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia / Kingdom Arena
ARTUR BETERBIEV
- WBC light heavyweight world champion, 7th title defense
- IBF, WBA, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion…
- Former NABF Light Heavyweight Champion, 4 Defenses
Age: 40 / Date of birth: January 21, 1985
Residence: Montréal, Québec, Canada /
Record: 21-0, 20 KOs / Total rounds: 110 / World championship fights: 10-0, 9 KOs
Height: 5’11.5” – 182cm / Reach: 73” – 185cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Self-managed / Trainer: Marc Ramsay
DMITRY BIVOL
- Ranked WBC No. 1 at Light Heavyweight
- Former WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion
- Former WBC USA Silver Light Heavyweight Champion
Age: 34 / Date of birth: December 18, 1990
Record: 23-1, 12 KOs / Total rounds: 202 / World championship fights: 12-1, 2 KOs
Height: 6’0” – 183cm / Reach: 72” – 183cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Vadim Kornilov / Trainer: Gennady Mashianov
WBC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS:
1. Harold Johnson (US) 1963
2. Willie Pastrano (US) 1963 – 1965
3. Jose Torres (P. Rico) 1965 – 1966
4. Dick Tiger (Nigeria) 1966 – 1968
5. Bob Foster (US) 1968 – 1974
6. John Conteh (GB) 1974 – 1977
7. Miguel Angel Cuello (Arg) 1977 – 1978
8. Mate Parlov (Yugoslavia) 1978
9. Marvin Johnson (US) 1978 – 1979
10. Matthew Saad Muhammad (US) 1979 – 1981
11. Dwight Muhammad Qawi (US) 1981 – 1983
12. Michael Spinks (US) 1983 – 1985
13. J.B. Williamson (US) 1985 – 1986
14. Dennis Andries (GB) 1986 – 1987
15. Thomas Hearns (US) 1987
16. Don LaLonde (CAN) 1987 – 1988
17. Ray Leonard (US) 1988
18. Dennis Andries (GB) 1989 *
19. Jeff Harding (Australia) 1989 – 1990
20. Dennis Andries (GB) 1990 – 1991 *
21. Jeff Harding (Australia) 1991 – 1994 *
22. Mike McCallum (Jamaica) 1994 – 1995
23. Fabrice Tiozzo (Fra) 1995 – 1996
24. Roy Jones Jr. (US) 1996 – 1997
25. Montell Griffin (US) 1997
26. Graciano Rocchigiani (Ger) Interim 1998
27. Roy Jones Jr. (US) 1997 – 2003 *
28. Antonio Tarver (US) 2003
29. Roy Jones Jr. (US) 2003 – 2004 *
30. Antonio Tarver (US) 2004 *
31. Tomasz Adamek (Poland) 2005 – 2007
32. Chad Dawson (US) 2007 – 2008
33. Adrian Diaconu (Rom/Can) 2008 – 2009
34. Jean Pascal (Haiti/Canada) 2009 – 2011
35. Chad Dawson (US) Interim 2009 – 2010 *
36. Bernard Hopkins (US) 2011 – 2012
37. Chad Dawson (US) 2012 – 2013*
38. Adonis Stevenson (Haiti/Can) 2013 – 2018
39. Oleksandr Gvozdyk (Ukraine) 2018 – 2019
40. David Benavidez Interim 2024 –
41.Artur Beterbiev (Canada) 2019 –
* Regained
WBC TOP 10 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Roy Jones Jr. (US)
2. Bernard Hopkins (US)
3. Bob Foster (US)
4. Michael Spinks (US)
5. Adonis Stevenson (Haiti/Canada)
6. Mike McCallum (Jamaica)
7. Jose Torres (Puerto Rico)
8. Dick Tiger (Nigeria)
9. Matthew Saad Muhammad (US)
10. Chad Dawson (US)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:
32 light heavyweight world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only five have regained the title: Dennis Andries (GB) two times, Jeff Harding (Australia), Roy Jones Jr. (US) two times, Antonio Tarver (US), and Chad Dawson (US) two times.
124 light heavyweight world championship fights have been held in WBC history.
Bob Foster (US) holds the record for light heavyweight world title defenses with 14
MEMORABLE WBC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:
Oct. 10, 2024 Artur Beterbiev W12 Dmitry Bivol – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Jan. 13, 2024 Artur Beterbiev TKO7 Callum Smith – Québec City, Québec
Jan. 28, 2023 Artur Beterbiev TKO8 Anthony Yarde – London, England
June 18, 2022 Artur Beterbiev TKO2 Joe Smith Jr. – New York, New York
Dec. 17, 2021 Artur Beterbiev KO9 Marcus Browne – Montréal, Québec
Mar. 20, 2021 Artur Beterbiev TKO10 Adam Deines – Moscow, Russia
Oct. 18, 2019 Artur Beterbiev TKO10 Oleksandr Gvozdyk – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec. 1, 2018 Oleksandr Gvozdyk KO11 Adonis Stevenson – Québec City, Québec
May 19, 2018 Adonis Stevenson D12 Badou Jack – Toronto, Ontario
May 24, 2014 Adonis Stevenson W12 Andrzej Fonfara – Montréal, Québec
June 8, 2013 Adonis Stevenson KO1 Chad Dawson – Montréal, Québec
Apr. 28, 2012 Chad Dawson W12 Bernard Hopkins – Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 21, 2011 Bernard Hopkins W12 John Pascal – Montréal, Québec
Dec. 11, 2009 Jean Pascal W12 Adrian Diaconu – Montréal, Québec
Apr. 12, 2008 Chad Dawson W12 Glen Johnson – Tampa, Florida
May 21, 2005 Tomasz Adamek W12 Paul Briggs – Chicago, Illinois
May 15, 2004 Antonio Tarver TKO2 Roy Jones Jr. – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 22, 1996 Roy Jones Jr. W12 Mike McCallum – Tampa, Florida
July 23, 1994 Mike McCallum W12 Jeff Harding – Bismarck, North Dakota
Nov. 7, 1988 Sugar Ray Leonard TKO9 Donny Lalonde – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 29, 1988 Donny Lalonde TKO5 Leslie Stewart – Port of Spain, Trinidad
Mar. 7, 1987 Thomas Hearns TKO10 Dennis Andries – Detroit, Michigan
Sep. 10, 1986 Dennis Andries TKO9 Tony Sibson – London, England
Mar. 18, 1983 Michael Spinks W15 Dwight Muhammad Qawi – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Dec. 19, 1981 Dwight Muhammad Qawi TKO10 Matthew Saad Muhammad – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Apr. 22, 1979 Matthew Saad Muhammad TKO8 Marvin Johnson – Indianapolis, Indiana
Oct. 9, 1976 John Conteh W15 Yaqui Lopez – Copenhagen, Denmark
May 24, 1968 Bob Foster KO4 Dick Tiger – New York, New York
Dec. 16, 1966 Dick Tiger W15 José Torres – New York, New York
Aug. 15, 1966 José Torres W15 Eddie Cotton – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 1, 1963 Willie Pastrano W15 Harold Johnson – Las Vegas, Nevada
Ringing the Changes for Beterbiev Vs Bivol Rematch
By James Blears
It’s hard to find two people who can agree about who won the first epic encounter between Arthur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol last October 12th for the Undisputed light-heavyweight Belts, so here we go again on February 22nd in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It tops the bill on a seven fights quality card, which is the final event of the Riyadh Season. Perhaps that’s why it’s been dubbed: ‘’The Last Crescendo.’’ This title reminds me of a falling chandelier.
In fight one, going into round eleven, Artur had thrown 547 punches landing 101, which is an eighteen percent impact rate. While Dmitry had thrown 350, landing 113 which is thirty two percent tangible. After briefly touching gloves they went at it, all out, with Artur arguably getting the better of the final round. He won a MD. One Judge scored it as a 114-114 draw, which for me, seemed the fairest result.
Both fought with Herculean effort and Einstein intelligence. Fabulous footwork coupled with fast accurate hands, were noticeable attributes in Bivol’s favor. Grim relentless determination and dogged pursuit from Beterbiev, who pressured all the way, yet wasn’t able to stop his rival, as he’d done twenty previous times. So they say, the Mounties always get their man. But, Montreal based Beterbiev didn’t on this occasion.
Willowy, flexible Bivol, often adopting a wide stance, moving laterally, landing clusters of stinging punches, often in the form of counters. But going on the offensive when you least expected it. While Beterbiev with his blacksmith’s upper body, slower but heavier handed, increasingly slamming in crunching body shots as the fight wore on into its later stages. The rapier vs the Cutlass.
That power-driving right hand connecting, but never landing cleanly enough to drop a superbly conditioned, alert and wary rival, who also came into to this fight as a world champion. Both men deftly, intelligently often feinting to seek an opening, while watchfully and prudently maintaining excellent defence, parrying and deflecting off hands more often than not held high. It was ultra- high IQ boxing, which drew high praise and warm drafts of esteem from those experts who were lucky enough to be ringside.
This was a highly technical fight but also a gruelling one. How much damage was sustained and how well has each man recovered from it? Bivol’s face particularly just under his left eye, were marked up from even before the half way point. He took a lot of buffeting to the body. But also gave Beterbiev a liberal pasting. As early as round two, Artur’s corner were dabbing, applying and pressing an ice pack to his face. His stamina was a key factor, particularly in the final three Championship rounds. But that’s not to say that he didn’t look bone weary tired.
Beterbiev recently modestly celebrated his fortieth birthday. Life begins at forty, yet seldom, if you’re boxing at this high- level strata. Aged thirty- four, Bivol is six years younger. That’s a lot on the clock ring wise! Beterbiev is dedicated to a hard case training regime, which could reduce lesser men to copious tears. But sometimes. fighters seem to age and get old overnight. In years gone by he would have been considered as old as the hills. But his pro career isn’t a long one, even by modern day/latter day standards.
By their nature, no two fights are the same and both men, who are seldom loquacious and never waste two words where one will suffice, have indicated that they are indeed going to amend their strategies, making some changes. They’ve now shared a ring for twelve long rounds, so they have got to know each other appreciably better.
As the Great Gil Clancy was fond of saying, initially Bivol was straight off the bat. In the first three rounds he was aggressive, continually beating Beterbiev to the punch, landing crisp, smarting one two left right combinations. While doing this, Bivol was careful to move to the left after delivering his payload, to avoid a heavy retaliatory right hand for which Beterbiev is famed. So, It was a slow start by Beterbiev, who some took time to get into his stride.
But then, the nature of the fight changed. Beterbiev was more effectively range finding, cutting the distance and ratcheting up the pressure. He was stalking and walking down Bivol and getting the better of the exchanges for the next three rounds, going to the body noticeably more frequently.
Both men and their teams will be carefully studying the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds which were pivotal. Both had their moments, both opened up in spurts and had success. These were difficult rounds to score. When he attacked, Bivol was flashier, while Beterbiev was more dour and workmanlike.
At the start of round ten they touched gloves and then Beterbiev upped the tempo. Yet, moving forward he walked into some choice combinations, but unloaded some telling punches in the seconds leading up to the bell.
Bivol seemed to be leg weary in round eleven. Throughout the fight he’d clearly needed to expend considerably more energy plus movement to maintain a sharp competitive edge. Beterbiev backing him up and the 27,000 capacity crowd roaring them on. Beterbiev’s inensive attack continued in the final round with Bivol re-energized, moving around and picking his punches. What a great fight, but it still leaves questions marks as well as bumps, lumps and bruises.
In the rematch, Beterbiev simply can’t afford a tentative start. Last time, it cost him the first three rounds. He must go to body earlier and land a higher percentage of punches, particularly the right hand.
Bivol was doing so well early on, but then he got crowded and bludgeoned, until he regained his focus and momentum after the halfway point. As the fight progressed, his mobility and agility were somewhat dulled and although he was effectively milling on the retreat and countering, his best work was done when he took the initiative and attacked. Trouble was that in the later rounds Beterbiev was willing, eager and prepared to retaliate with interest. Beterbiev is the heavier puncher of the two. But Bivol is quicker and nimbler, throwing faster combinations.
Fight one was strategic and tactical. Both men were trying out plans and seeing if they would come to fruition. The rematch will see more aggression and a willingness of both to go for broke.
Bivol wants to rectify and salve his burning sense of injustice. To achieve it, he needs to neutralize and extinguish Beterbiev. He needs to be the pursuer rather than the pursued. In so doing, he must take more risks. The route to this is fraught with danger, but to the victor, the spoils.
Beterbiev must be firing on all cylinders much earlier. He needs to land that anvil right hand cleanly and cut off the ring more effectively. His key is power, while Bivol’s is superior boxing skills.
We’re going to see a very different fight this time.
