Mentor of the “super champion” according to the WBA light heavyweight (up to 79.4 kg) Russian Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) Gennady Mashyanov during
interview for the USACHEV TV YouTube channel, he spoke about the only sparring that took place even before the 2012 Olympics in London, between his ward and the current IBF / WBC unified champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs).
Recall that at the beginning of the month, Bivol defeated the Mexican Canelo Alvarez, the P4P leader, on points, and on June 18, Beterbiev will face the WBO champion American Joe Smith Jr.
– You once said that Dmitry and Arthur had sparring. Can you remember this moment? How did they go?
– In my memory there was one sparring. I don’t remember before what events, or before the 2012 Olympics in London, or before “the world.” Most likely before the Olympics. But Dima boxed all his life in 75 kg. I mean in amateur boxing. He boxed for 8 years at this weight. Then, when we began to cooperate with him, I transferred him to light heavyweight. I had my own views, views and beliefs on this. But Dima agreed with this and successfully boxed in the very first competitions. And he stayed … It was an experimental move, but then, when everything worked out, he remained in the light heavyweights. This is one question.
Then, when he and Beterbiev worked, Beterbiev had some tasks, and Dima had other tasks. Beterbiev in preparation was preparing to work as an aggressive first number, and he had to box with people who move well on their feet. And Dima is one of the best, who moved very well in the team on his feet. And given that they are weightless, certain tasks were set before them. Dima coped with his task very well. He did not let Beterbiev get hit on his own. Well, Beterbiev tried, of course, so to speak, to get somewhere on his feet, cut corners, everything else, but he did not succeed. Therefore, I believe that Dima outplayed Beterbiev calmly on his feet. There weren’t a lot of actions in the exchange of blows, because certain tasks were set, but nevertheless, I say that Dima worked very competently, and Beterbiev never managed to touch him, roughly speaking, deliver any effective blow there .
“Gvozdyk has something in his head.” Interview with Coach Bivol about the victory over Canelo