5 POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS FOR ARTUR BETERBIEV VS DMITRY BIVOL

The bout between the two stars has been highly anticipated for quite some time, as both fighters are unbeaten and are seen as two of the best boxers on the planet.

With Beterbiev out until September, according to reports, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, shared his reaction to the news: "After receiving today’s news about Beterbiev’s injury, we will be postponing the Beterbiev vs. Bivol fight scheduled for June 1st until later this year. Wishing my brother Artur a speedy recovery. However, the 5v5 event is still on for June 1st."

According to ESPN, a replacement opponent is being sought for Bivol so that he can remain on next month's card in Saudi Arabia. Here, we take a look a five potential replacements for Beterbiev.

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David Benavidez

28-0 (Last fight: W - Demetrius Andrade - 25/11/2023)

While interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez will be keeping a close eye on Canelo Alvarez's showdown with Jaime Munguia this month, the 27-year-old is set to move up to light-heavyweight for a June fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said the fight would be contested for the interim light heavyweight title. This therefore means that the winner would be in position for a bout with either Beterbiev or Bivol.

With Beterbiev now out and Benavidez already training for a move up a division, it makes sense for the American to step up. His Excellency has a tendency to produce blockbuster fights and 'El Bandera Roja' is one of the biggest names in the sport right now. A win over Bivol could do wonders for the American's career.

David Morrell

10-0 (Last fight: W - Sena Agbeko - 16/12/2023)

David Morrell, like Benavidez, is moving up from super middleweight to light heavyweight in his next fight, according to Dan Rafael via Fight Freaks Unite Substack. The big-punching Cuban will take on Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) on one of the PBC cards in June on Prime Video or Prime Video PPV.

Morrell is one of the biggest prospects in the sport and has caught the eye of many so far with his hand speed and sharp reflexes. He carries plenty of power, and while facing Bivol is a huge risk, it's a challenge he'd happily take on, given that it's the perfect opportunity to showcase his talent to the world.

Anthony Yarde

25-3 (Last fight - W - Marko Nikolic - 10/02/2024)

According to Anthony Yarde's trainer, Tunde Ajayi, they were offered Bivol in December before the team turned it down after they admitted 'The Beast from the East' needed more than five weeks to prepare for the fight.

“We were offered the Bivol shot, before Lyndon Arthur, but we’re professionals,” said Ajayi. “We’re not taking fights at five weeks’ notice against a world-class fighter. No. It’s not a money grab. We don’t need to money grab. We turned down Bivol but in terms of the Saudi offer we got offered that first and we said, ‘No. No way. Not five weeks. Give us a proper camp and we’ll take it.''

After losing to Beterbiev last year, Yarde has since defeated Jorge Silva and, more recently, Marko Nikolic. With his last fight coming in February, the Englishman may feel as if he's ready to take on Bivol on such a historic card next month.

Callum Smith

29-2 (Last fight - L - Artur Beterbiev - 13/01/2024)

Callum Smith's bid to become a two-weight world champion ended in heartbreak after a seventh-round defeat by Beterbiev in his last fight earlier this year. His only other professional defeat came against Canelo back in 2020.

Beterbiev proved too much for Smith, as the Russian and Canadian dominated the fight, catching his opponent early on in the first round, ramping up the pressure in the fourth round, and blasting him with repeated powerful jabs and heavy hits, before finishing the job once and for all in the seventh.

The former super-middleweight world champion suggested he could retire following the defeat: "I've always wanted to be the best. I've always believed I was the best and now it's hard to accept I'm not. I've got an amazing family at home. I give a lot to boxing. Win or lose, I didn't want to stay in boxing for a long time."

With Bivol currently holding the WBA light-heavyweight title, one final crack at the belt could be enough to convince Smith to step back in the ring amid retirement talks.

Joshua Buatsi

18-0 (Last fight - W - Dan Azeez - 03/02/2024)

Joshua Buatsi’s goal is to fight the winner of the undisputed light-heavyweight championship fight between Bivol and Beterbiev. The 31-year-old overcame Dan Azeez in a 12-round encounter in his last fight.

The win saw Buatsi win Azeez's British title, but it was also a final eliminator for the WBA world championship. While he claimed he was willing to fight Yarde rather than wait months to face either Bivol or Beterbiev, the Ghanian-born star will no doubt be on the list to step in and fight in Saudi Arabia next month.

While he's technically in line for the next shot, facing a world-class fighter like Bivol on short notice may be a bit of a risk for Buatsi.

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