After the Fight: Dmitry Bivol shoots up P4P list

Dmitry Bivol dominated Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez to further solidify his status as a top-level fighter and his place near the top of the pound-for-pound list.

This was supposed to be the fight that pushed WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (21-0) to the limit, but Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-1) could not get the job done. It wasn’t that he couldn’t but more so that Bivol didn’t allow Ramirez to impose his size advantage against him this past Saturday on DAZN.

Bivol used every bit of his outstanding footwork and spacing to neutralize Ramirez throughout the whole fight. There were moments when Ramirez got in there and ruffed up Bivol, but those were few and far between. It was Bivol’s distance control that really proved to be the difference in this fight. You can tell that facing the great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez back in May has elevated Bivol’s game because of what it took to beat the great Mexican warrior. There were moments late in the fight when Ramirez was hesitant to close the distance because it meant he would be vulnerable to the quick combinations of Bivol. The times that he did get in there late, he was buzzed, and even after his corner was pleading for Ramirez to go all out, he just couldn’t do it.

Bivol’s style isn’t for everyone, as he won’t blow out the CompuBox numbers, but it is something to appreciate as he is a premier pugilist. Although he is more of a reserved personality most of the time, it seems as though he is trying to come out of his shell a bit. He is more vocal when he is interviewed and provides innocent humor for all to absorb. His Strength and Conditioning Coach, Taylor Ramsdell, whom I spoke to before the fight, brought some of this to light. He expressed his confidence in Bivol beating Ramirez and a peek behind the curtain at who Bivol is as a person. This will undoubtedly be key to his development as a star in the sport if he can continue to build upon these small increases in personality.

https://twitter.com/DAZNBoxing/status/1589627581644562432?s=20&t=1UCDWUgOjumWJwbl1Afm-Q

Dmitry Bivol once again proves that he is one of the best fighters in the sport by dominating Gilberto Ramirez

The question is now, where does he go from here? Although the staff from DAZN keep pushing the idea of him giving Canelo Alvarez a rematch, that’s not exactly what he wants to do next. You can hear it in his voice that he wants to tell people instead of people telling him what to do. What Bivol wants is to be the undisputed light heavyweight champion. To do that, he would have to face the current unified champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0), who holds the other three titles. The only issue with that is he is currently scheduled to face Anthony Yarde (22-2) in January, which is going to take place in London, U.K. If Beterbiev retains the title and a fight with Bivol can be put together, barring any network politics, that would certainly be one of the most anticipated fights in 2023.

If Bivol wants to take on another fight before the potential undisputed one, a name to look out for is Joshua Buatsi (16-0), who former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua manages. He is ranked #2 with the WBA and last fought on DAZN back in May, where he earned a unanimous decision victory over Craig Richards (17-3-1). That is a decent fight, but one that I can see Bivol winning without any real trouble, as there are levels to this boxing thing. I can see that fight taking place in the spring, setting up the Beterbiev fight for the fall.

One thing is for sure, Bivol’s dominant victory has arguably guaranteed him to be named Fighter of the Year when the Boxing Writers Association of America meets early next year. It will also shoot his name to the top three on many pound-for-pound lists. Bivol is peaking, and fans should make an effort to watch him perform as he is slowly becoming boxing’s next star.