Dmitry Bivol has called for a rematch after his tight, contentious loss to Artur Beterbiev.
Beterbiev edged out Bivol on a majority decision to win the undisputed light-heavyweight world championship after 12 rounds of boxing at the highest level.
That result saw Beterbiev unify Bivol’s WBA title with the IBF, WBO and WBC championships he already held.
“I feel empty emotionally now,” Bivol told Sky Sports afterwards. “I went to the ring only to win this fight but I don’t have my belt.”
Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn is convinced his fighter merited that decision.
“Dmitry Bivol should be undisputed champion,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “He deserves it. It was a boxing masterclass.
“You don’t deserve to work your whole life to get to that moment, perform like that and get it taken away.
“To give Dmitry Bivol four rounds of that 12-round fight – that judge should never work again.”
Hearn added: “No disrespect to Beterbiev because he’s a tremendous fighter, and I loved that fight, it was like the ultimate boxing fight. I was just fascinated by it.
“They told him, on the broadcast, in the 10th round: ‘You have to knock him out to win this fight’.
“So let’s see the rematch.”
Bivol also called for a rematch. “If I have this chance of course I would like to fight again,” he said.
But, defeated for the first time in his professional career, he declined to dwell on the result of Saturday’s fight. “I don’t think about did I win or did I lose,” Bivol said. “I have to do everything perfect.
“From my side I’m trying to do everything perfect, everything amazing. But I didn’t.
“I’m trying to forget about it and move forward now.”
Options for the undisputed champ
Newly crowned as the undisputed world champion at 175lbs, Beterbiev will have options.
Carl Moretti of Top Rank, Beterbiev’s promoter, told Sky Sports: “It was a close fight. Just because fights are close doesn’t mean that they’re robberies.
“I have no problem with a rematch, I think it sells great, we can do it again. There are other options. There are other light-heavyweights out there.”
In a jocular reference to Canelo Alvarez, the superstar who in a previous foray up to light-heavyweight lost to Bivol, Moretti added: “There’s this Mexican kid at 168lbs, he may want to try moving up to 175lbs again.
“I don’t think you can decide (what next) at this moment but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t options.”
Repeats of Fabio Wardley’s stunning rematch with Frazer Clarke on the epic Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol bill are on Sky Sports Box Office at 6pm on Sunday. Book repeats of Wardley vs Clarke 2 and Beterbiev vs Bivol now!
