By: Hans Themistode
Light heavyweight has always been considered one of the more exciting divisions in the sport of boxing. However, as late as that, the names associated with the top weight class were put on display for the world to see.
In December 2021, current unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev registered his 17th consecutive knockout victory over Marcus Browne. The Russian-born player fought with a bloody vision, which occurred after an accidental headbutt, to score a stoppage-time winner against a skilled opponent in the ninth round.
Just a day later, on December 18, high-ranked contender and former £168 title Gilberto Ramirez, moved his pristine record to 43-0 following a one-sided knockout win over Yunieski Gonzalez .
Most recently, Joe Smith Jr has cemented his place among the upper echelons of the 175-pound division. Just a few weeks ago, Smith Jr kicked off his 2022 by beating competitor Steve Geffrard, winning by knockout in the ninth round.
While the top of the weight division continues to show off his skills, WBA belt holder Dmitry Bivol continues to do the same. After being unable to enter the ring in 2020, Bivol ended his recent inactivity by registering back-to-back wins over competitors Craig Richards and Umar Salamov.
Since winning the WBA title in 2017, Bivol has called on those in and around his department to take on him. Although he was a bit quiet at the end of the year, Bivol revealed that he still aspires to face big-name fighters including Beterbiev, Smith Jr., who he easily beat back in the year. 2019 and newly crowned undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Though the payday associated with those remarkable bouts would be life-changing, Bivol was more concerned with planting his flag atop the light-heavy mountain.
“My drive and ambition have not changed for a long time,” Bivol said in an interview with The Ring. “I want to fight the best. I want to prove that I am the best on my team.”
