As fans of the fight may have already read or heard, Dmitry Bivol will be subbing for the second half in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 1st. Bivol, the current WBA light heavyweight champion, is unsurprisingly set to face his countryman and rival 175-pound champion Artur Beterbiev on June 1, making this one of the most important upcoming bouts in the division. It was one of the games I was looking forward to.
This tantalizing bout will have to wait until Beterbiev, who holds every other major belt at 175, is fully recovered and healthy. But the show must go on, and it will. ESPN.com reports that Bivol will continue to be busy with his upcoming match against undefeated Libyan fighter Malik Zinad. No, to be honest, I've never heard of him either. The 30-year-old, who currently lives in Malta, is 22-0 (16 wins) and will be making his first shot at a world title. In the fight on June 1st, Jinado will also be a big step up in class.
The main event on June 1st will be a potential blowout, a heavyweight showdown between punchers Deontay Wilder and Jirayi Zhang.
But kudos to both Bivol and Ginad. Bivol agreed to a rematch, and Jinad agreed to step in at short notice. Undefeated fighters can be dangerous fighters, and Zinad enters the ring with really nothing to lose. Once again, is Jinado ready for the big stage? Are you ready to take on a special player like Bivol, who is currently 22-0-11?
In fact, Zinado had just won an 18-0 decision over Jerome Pamperone a few days ago (April 24) in Sydney, Australia. That would put Zinad in combat shape, but he has shown he is not afraid to travel for matches. Jinado, nicknamed “Trigger,” won several minor titles during his eight-and-a-half year professional career and displayed excellent smooth boxing ability.
Yes, Zinado is a big underdog and will be entering the ring with Bivol as an almost complete unknown, but then again, he is undefeated and doesn't know how to lose. And you really have nothing to lose by playing against Bivol. Could there be a new name, a new 175-pound force, at the expense of Bivol on June 1?
Of course, it would be a real shock if Bivol were to lose to Zinad, and even if something shocking were to happen, would we see that big fight between him and Beterbiev? Speaking of a big clash between two light heavyweight champions to unify all four belts, word is flying around that it will happen again this year. Assuming Beterbiev is a perfect fit and Bivol doesn't become a cropper against “Trigger”.