Dmitry Bivol’s win over Umar Salamov (26-2-0) garnered an audible “ho-hum” reaction.
It’s not Bivol’s fault. He carved up Salamov in typical Bivol (19-0-0) fashion showing off high level technical boxing skills. In today’s boxing world, that type of fight seems to only be appreciated if Canelo Alvarez is involved.
Part of the problem could’ve been that Bivol fought on the same weekend as two other fight cards with one involving Visiliy Lomachenko at Madison Square Garden.
Back in boxing’s glory days you would’ve never seen three cards with high-level boxers fighting on the same evening but that’s a conversation for another time.
Bivol is undefeated in 19 fights and has been deemed the “next” for years yet his star is already dimming. Wins over Joe Smith Jr. and Jean Pascal doesn’t garner headline. It’s why Bivol hasn’t been shy is saying that he’s willing to find a catchweight to fight Alvarez.
It would also help if Bivol could find a way on a card at Madison Square Garden or Las Vegas.
If Bivol can’t get Alvarez and there’s no reason why anyone think he can, the next fight should be against the winner of Gilberto Ramirez-Yunieski Gonzalez or Artur Beterbiev.
Benn Continues to Roll
Conor Benn (20-0-0) overwhelmed Chris Algieri (25-4) in his fourth round knockout win.
The 25 year old came out with controlled aggression in the first round hitting Algieri with several shots to the body and then coming back upstairs to the head.
The work paid off in the second round as Benn literally sent Algieri rolling across with a punch to the back of the ear (and it did appear that their feet might’ve touched).
Benn would finish off Algieri in the fourth round with a devastating left jab-right hand one-two. Algieri laid on the canvas well beyond the 10 second count.
Immediately afterwards, Benn went name hunting saying he wanted to face Amir Kahn or Kell Brook.
